"The Presentation of The Declaration of Independence"
Oil on canvas
John Trumbull
Above, we see one of the most famously well-known illustrations of the "patriots" who declared American "freedom" in what we now refer to as "Independence Hall" in Philadelphia.
This painting hangs in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C.
Trumbull's painting depicts the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence - John Adams, Robert R. Livingston, Roger Sherman, Thomas Jefferson (presenting the document), and Benjamin Franklin standing before John Hancock, the President of the Continental Congress.
The painting includes portraits of 42 of the 56 signers and 5 other patriots. The artist sketched the individuals and the room from life.
This depiction can also be found on the back of the U.S. $2 bill.
So what's wrong with these illustrations of "patriot's declaring Liberty?"
They didn't actually believe what they were declaring...
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
This is in-fact the most famous and the single most quoted line from our founding document meant to declare and justify our philosophy of government, and yet...
Click above to enlarge
Evidence shows that most of the men in this famous painting were slaveholders.
Chicago documentary filmmaker Arlen Parsa used red dots to indicate which of the 47 men in the "Declaration of Independence" painting were slaveholders. (Twitter)
The great wealth of the future nation and of these rich white men we revere was built on the backs of slaves. The labor of slaves was stolen for generations to create the wealth, power and privileges that the descendants of these elites still enjoy. And sadly, many of these still actively seek to deny the "blessings of liberty" to the descendants of those who their forefathers enslaved.
Make no mistake, I am a black man, a descendant of slaves, and I love my country. I proudly vowed to protect her with my life during my time in the service. I fly her flag every day at my home and as imperfect as she is, I would still give my life to defend her. The problem is this... Every day, as a black man in America, I realize that despite all that we and our forebears have given to our nation, there are far too many who would still deny us our rightful place as "men (and women) created equal."
WARNING: Video contains disturbing content and graphic language. Viewer discretion is advised.
My great fear for my country is that unless and until we come to a reconciliation of the truth about who we are (and were) and acknowledge where we all came from, we will never really be free. Until the blood of those who had no choice in helping to found and build the most powerful nation on Earth is given the same reverence we give the slaveholders in this famous painting, and until the injustices meted out to their descendants are remedied and reparations are made, we as a nation have no justifiable claims on truth, liberty or freedom... We are merely great pretenders, like most of these "founding fathers."
"Fear Eats the Soul"
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