What does independence mean for the rest of us? Women have long asked this question—as have groups that have felt or experienced being shut out, excluded, colonized or enslaved. 

On July 5, 1852—a time in which the U.S. reaped benefit from the enslavement of kidnapped and trafficked Black people from the shores of Africa—Frederick Douglass put it this way: “What to the slave is the Fourth of July?” 

That was long ago, before the Emancipation Proclamation, Civil War and ratification of the 13th Amendment. However, the question—what does it mean to be free, equal and a citizen?—remains a vital point of discussion not only in the United States, but around the world. We dive into freedom, the 4th of July, and what it means to be represented in this episode.  

What does liberty mean to and for you, your family, your communities?  To answer that, we are talking to folks making a difference at the local level:  

• Colorado state Rep. Leslie Herod was elected in 2016 as the first LGBTQ African American in the General Assembly, after receiving the highest number of votes of any candidate running in a contested election. She serves as the chair of the House Finance Committee, vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and chair of the Committee on Legal Services. Herod also chairs the Colorado Black Democratic Legislative Caucus and the Arts Caucus. Since her election in 2016, Herod has sent 68 bills to the governor’s desk, marshaling through numerous pieces of legislation addressing criminal justice reform, mental health and substance abuse, renewable energy, youth homelessness, and civil rights protections. 
• Kentucky state Rep. Attica Scott serves in the Kentucky legislature, representing House District 41. In 2016, Scott defeated a 34-year incumbent to become the first Black woman in nearly 20 years to serve in the state legislature. She serves on critical committees, including Education; Local Government; Elections; Constitutional Amendments; and others. Before becoming a state rep, she served as an English immersion teacher in China, as well as an adjunct faculty member at both Bellarmine University and Jefferson Community and Technical College.
• Heather Lende, a former elected local official and member of the Haines, Alaska Borough Assembly, was one of the thousands of women inspired to take a more active role in politics during the Trump presidency. Lende is also New York Times bestselling author; a contributor to NPR, the New York Times, and National Geographic Traveler, among other newspapers and magazines; and a former contributing editor at Woman’s Day. A columnist for the Alaska Dispatch News, she is the obituary writer for the Chilkat Valley News in Haines and the recipient of the Suzan Nightingale McKay Best Columnist Award from the Alaska Press Club. Recently, Lende was named the Alaska State Writer Laureate for 2021-2023. Her most recent book, Of Bears and Ballots, was released in paperback in May 2021. 

 
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