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July 11, 2026
The USA's 250th "birthday" is being celebrated this summer, and the occasion has provoked a lot of nationalistic bluster. The Black Cats thought it might be timely to host an open discussion where folks have space for a more critical discussion about how this country was founded, and the impact the USA has had on the world ever since.
We thought that we could start with a closer examination of American ideas (yes, plural!) of freedom. Freedom is widely regarded as a foundational principle of our society. Words like freedom and liberty seem to resonate with almost every American, but are we actually pursuing the same values? Freedom for "Founding Fathers" like Washington and Jefferson was largely focused on increasing their own wealth and power, which came at the cost of genocide and chattel slavery. Was that not in direct contradiction to Black concepts of freedom, which included among other things the desire to not be used as cattle on plantations? What about the freedom of Native peoples to preserve their cultures on their ancestral lands?
As always, our events are free and open to the public. The Black Cat House welcomes all ages, and is a drug and alcohol-free venue. To help keep everyone safe and healthy, we ask that all guests wear face masks in our space. We are wheelchair accessible.