It was July 4th, and like many American families, I enjoyed a refreshing summer vacation with my wife and four boys. The smell of delicious barbecue was a smoky backdrop for fireworks bursting in the distance, all to remind us of the day we are to celebrate the independence of our great nation.

That day, I checked in on social media, and as I scrolled down my Facebook feed, I see two sides of America. On one hand, I’d see families — mostly conservative — enjoying fun in the sun at firework festivals from coast to coast. On the other hand, you have a crowd — mostly the black and “woke” community — firing away on their keyboards to gripe about our nation’s flaws.

They say we will never be free.
They say independence was never for us.
They say blacks should never wave the flag of their “oppressor.”

Predictable. It happens every year. Many black Americans have fallen into this rut, ranting about the lack of independence in the African American community and our supposed society of racism all while enjoying a rack of ribs on their day off. (By the way, thanks, America for the day off.)

While they smack their lips full of barbecue and bad mouth their home country, they forget the black man’s part in our nation’s pursuit for independence.

While they reminisce on the plight of their slave ancestors seeking freedom, the forget that many blacks fought fiercely in the Revolutionary War.

They fail to recall how many blacks died for our nation anyway, as soldiers, and despite having been slaves. Do we dare question the wisdom and grit of our forefathers who made this sacrifice?

“Woke” blacks post memes about what their ancestors were doing in 1776 (picking cotton on the plantation), but can’t understand that without 1776, some of us might still be slaves in 2026. Reality check, anyone?

For these reasons, I, my family, and my fellow conservatives take a pledge of patriotism over pessimism. While no nation is perfect, to overlook the privilege of living in America is to be spoiled rotten. Because if America were so bad, there wouldn’t be people knocking on our door, begging to set foot on U.S. soil at the southern border. The hardships these people endure leave them hungry for a sliver of American Pie. So, black Americans, why let your slice go to waste?