On this, the week following the 4th of July, I, like many Americans, can’t help but think about our country, and more specifically – our democracy. In 7th grade I received extra credit for memorizing the Declaration of Independence. It’s a long document, and although I didn’t get very far, I can recall the words to this day.

“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 perhaps the most well known statement in America’s political documents and is considered the foundation of our democracy.


Our country was founded on the premise that all men are created equal, and yet I can’t help but wonder if this is actually true.

At the time these beautiful words were written, and for over a century after we had formed our nation, men and women of color were certainly not equal to white men. In fact, many of the framers of the Constitution owned slaves. People who are forced to be property cannot possibly be considered equal to their “masters”. White women arguably had it better than their African American counterparts, but they were also, to some degree, forced into a life of servitude because they were denied the right to vote – a right that we now recognize as absolutely necessary for freedom.

Times have changed. The Civil Rights Movement was very effective as was the suffrage movement in the early part of the 20th century. Yet despite these groundbreaking accomplishments, 232 years after the Declaration was penned, all men (and women) are still not equal.

As adults we know that inequalities run rampant in our society. Our justice system, which should be blind to most demographics, considers race when handing out sentences.  Countless studies have found that if you are a black male you are much more likely to go to jail than a white man who committed the same crime as you did. For women the workplace is rampant with inequalities. Paychecks are less (nearly 30%); wardrobe is regulated – skirts are often favored over pants for women; and many business deals are made on the golf course – some of which still forbid women from playing.

Equality isn’t really present in our teenage years either. One of the most popular high school sports is football. Players who excel at the game in secondary school are sometimes offered full scholarships to college and are revered by their peers for their talent and athleticism. At most schools women aren’t allowed to play football – but they can hold pom poms and cheer on the sidelines. This closes-off an entire world of scholarship money to 51% of the country, purely because of their sex. Racial inequality is harder to pin-point. But it is there. It is there at my Virginia high school, Patrick Henry High, where many more white students graduate than black. It is there in dress codes that forbid dew-rags, a head covering typically worn by African Americans. And it is there in the lunchroom where tables sometimes appear segregated.

But forget teenage years and adulthood. We’re not even equal before we take our first breath. At creation we are not equal. Children born to mothers without healthcare are more likely to suffer from a plethora of conditions. And because we don’t have national healthcare in this country there are many women who do not receive pre natal care. As well, children born to mothers addicted to alcohol, tobacco, or drugs are at risk for severe deformities and medical conditions. In one of my favorite books, Freakonomics, the authors conclude after a great deal of economic research that much of our propensity for success is determined well before we are born. That our economic status, race, gender, family, etc. is determined by who our parents are and not necessarily by any parenting skills.

So if we know that adults are not equal than it is clear that in this society our parents are not equal, and consequently can we stand a chance for quality?  I think we can.

That all men are created equal is a truth that we must fight for.  Intrinsically we know that poverty, race, gender should never set one man above or below the next. But in life, such an ideal, is much easier said than done. Discrimination isn’t something we do on purpose, but we as a country and a society we are guilty of structural inequality nonetheless. But there are many among us that dedicate their lives to fighting for equality. Over the past six months I’ve had the honor of interviewing young people across the Commonwealth that are fighting this fight. One University of Virginia sorority mentors refugee children. A Virginia Tech student is biking across the country this summer to plant one million trees. I met many young people at a Hillary Clinton rally in my hometown – they believe a woman can, one day, be president. The same is true of the many, many young people who volunteer for Barack Obama’s campaign.

I am moved by these stories – sometimes to tears. We are working toward that greater equality that the framers had the foresight to pen, even if their actions were not always in the same vein. So on the Fourth of July I am reminded of the grave challenges that lay before us as a country, but I am also hopeful for tomorrow. All men are created equal, and through the hard work of millions of Americans we are working to make this truth a reality.