Governor Gina Raimondo talks about what America means to her - along with other Rhode Island leaders.
The Fourth of July, while celebrating the Independence Day of the United States, means different things to many people, right here in this state.
SLIDES: See What America Means to Rhode Island's Leaders BELOW
Rhode Island is a state of old traditions -- the Bristol 4th of July parade is America's oldest celebration of the historic date -- and new beginnings, with Rhode Island's first female Governor having taken office this year, and the first Hispanic -- male or female -- to win statewide office in New England.
Here's what elected officials and community leaders in the state Rhode Island had to say about what America means to them.
Related Slideshow: What Does America Mean to Rhode Island’s Leaders?
America is often considered to be a melting pot of cultures that all unite under one flag.
To get a sense of what that phenomenon means, GoLocal spoke with many of Rhode Island's top leaders, all of whom come from various fields, backgrounds, and life experiences.
Read below for their take on what it means to be American ahead of the nation's 239th anniversary.
“As Governor, my top priority is for Rhode Island to be a place of opportunity. And for more than two centuries, the American Dream has come to mean opportunity for people across the globe. While the US has made great strides recently to expand rights to healthcare and marriage for all, recent tragedies have reminded us we still have much work left to do. As we celebrate our nation’s founding, let’s focus on the work we must do together to make RI, and our nation, true places of opportunity, where every hardworking person has a chance to make it.”
Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives for RI's 2nd Congressional District
"America means opportunity. It is a nation where people can pursue their dreams, regardless of race, gender, religion or sexual orientation. It is a nation where a quadriplegic can become a United States Congressman. This opportunity and the freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness, is possible because of other distinctly American qualities: bravery, loyalty and patriotism. American freedoms would not be possible without the courageous men and women who risk their lives to protect this country. They protect opportunity for all, and it makes me incredibly grateful and proud to be an American."
President of the Providence's NAACP Branch and Compliance Officer at RIPTA
"As an American of color, my thoughts about July 4th, America’s Independence Day, are mixed and unsettled. On one hand, I cannot ignore that almost 90 years after our nation’s independence, a majority of African Americans were still slaves and not free. Who can forget black abolitionist Frederick Douglas’ famous July 5, 1852 speech when speaking of America’s Independence Day and what it meant to the enslaved, where he said 'a day that reveals to him, more than any other day of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license;… your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sound of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your shout of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns are to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety and hypocrisy.'
On the other hand, I cannot ignore black Revolutionary War patriots who helped pave the way for American Independence such as Crisps Attacks, a martyr of the Boston Massacre; as well as heroes such as Peter Salem and Salem Poor who distinguished themselves at the battles of Bunker Hill. Their contributions should be celebrated and not diminished.
"My hope is that America one day will live up to its creed found in the Declaration of Independence, which states that 'All men are created equal and that they are endowed by the creator with certain inalienable rights…among these rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness'. Unfortunately, today, those famous words ring hollow for far too many African Americans and are seen as painfully hypocritical. We have work to do! Together we will get there!"
Former Rhode Island Attorney General and current practicing attorney
"The 4th of July reminds me of what it should mean to be an American. This country is the land of the free and the home of the brave but achieving that identity is a journey since we have not arrived there yet. Only when each of us can say I am white and black, red and yellow, straight, gay, bisexual and transgender, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Asian and every nationality, and natural born and immigrant will the reality that we form a more perfect union as a nation be realized."
U.S. Senator Representing Rhode Island since 2007 and former Rhoe Island Attorney General
“My parents were in the Foreign Service so I spent time all around the globe growing up. In a lot of those places, you could’t depend on the government to keep you safe, treat you fairly, or give you a helping hand when you needed it most. And for many of the people I met, America was an example of what they wanted from their country—a land of opportunity, rule of law, and compassion. We truly are a beacon of hope to the world. That's still what America means to me.”
Providence School Board President and the Chief Operating Officer and Director of Admissions at the Rhode Island Nurses Institute Middle College
"Despite all of its flaws and challenges, America remains the global example of freedom, democracy, and the god given liberty to pursue opportunity to one's own ambition and potential. We are not the perfect union but we aspire to be one. The latest examples of America's evolution towards a more perfect union are the Supreme Court's ruling on marriage equality and the movement to remove the Confederate flag as a symbol of our hateful past. Freedom and democracy is not always easy. But as American's, they are our guiding principles to collectively move forward together. Happy Birthday America!!"
"I labored in farm fields and in a fruit-packing plant alongside hard-working immigrants, went on to earn a degree and teach English to the children of some of those same immigrants, earned more degrees and went on to have the great privilege of leading Rhode Island College, where over half of the students are - as I was - the first in their families to attend college. America, maybe because of its churning, periodic social upheavals, continues to evolve as a place where education, idealism, and hard work move dreams within one's grasp. Happy birthday and thank you, America."
"Rhode Island has played a leading role in defining what America represents. We were the first colony to declare independence with the goal of creating a more free and accepting society. Today, I hope to build on that foundation by ensuring our government works for everyone and hears everyone’s voice. America is about freedom and liberty for the common good of all."
Executive Director of the RI Black Heritage Society and former Rhode Island Deputy Secretary of State
"I love this nation because each generation can do better than their parents. My father and mother were not permitted to vote or to attend high school in Alabama. And yet in my Mother’s lifetime Ruth Simmons was appointed president of Brown University and Barack Obama was able to be elected president of the United States not once but twice. America leans towards the arch of justice - that is why I love it."
“Having been born and raised in Bristol, Rhode Island, there is no holiday more significant to me than our nation’s Independence Day. Each year thousands of Americans, from all generations and backgrounds, gather in ‘America’s Most Patriotic Town’ to celebrate the country they love. Our nation was founded on the ideal that everyone deserves a chance to achieve their dream, regardless of the circumstances of their birth. We've strived to meet this ideal as a country, sometimes coming up short, but the dream endures and it is up to each new generation of Americans to advance it.”
CEO of the Opportunities Industrialization Center of Rhode Island, President of The Van Leesten Group
"America, as a lively experiment, offers real possibilities to do something different in bringing the world community into its membership in a meaningful and equitable way. There is no other country in the world that extends that possibility. I have witnessed in my lifetime some extraordinary change that has occurred in the area of civil and human rights and watching with great interest how our country adapts to the rapid demographic changes underway. The advent of a Black President of the United States, the possibility of a woman to follow, the Supreme Court’s decision on health care and gay marriage advances the lively experiment. Significant challenges remain on matters of race and injustice . While progress has been made, there is a need for a domestic Marshall Plan to create jobs and business opportunities for those trapped in poverty. All hands on deck for there is much unfinished business left. That said, I fully appreciate having the opportunity to engage in creating much needed economic justice and lasting change. I’m simply proud to be an American to have the opportunity to join with others to create an America that lives up to its full promise – hopefully in my lifetime. The Lively Experiment continues."
"America represents opportunity for everyone willing to work hard. To this day it attracts people seeking better lives, just as this land of opportunity attracted our forefathers. We are so fortunate to be Rhode Islanders, following in the footsteps of Roger Williams, the state’s founder and champion of the ideal of religious freedom. We must continue to progress towards our ideals of equality and justice for all. I am proud, honored and blessed to call this state and this nation home."
