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How the Alameda July 4 Parade unexpectedly gave me hope for our fledging multi-racial democracy in a time of despair
To the Editor:
I am an older, white, gay man who lives with my younger brown boyfriend in the City of Alameda. For a variety of reasons we missed celebrating Gay Pride in San Francisco last weekend, but we had an opportunity to march in the Alameda 4th of July parade [2] that has been a ritual for many Alamedans over many decades. Although I was feeling completely disillusioned with the state of American democracy and felt no reason to celebrate the birth of our nation this year, I was motivated to join with Alameda Pride at the front of the parade as we were invited by the Grand Marshal, Jeramie Andehueson [3]—the founder of Alameda Pride—“to celebrate our diversity and inclusivity and show Alameda that we are here.”
We got dressed in our rainbow attire and Alameda Pride T-shirts but we arrived too late to join our contingent in the front of the parade—but what unfolded was completely unexpected. We walked along the sidelines of the parade route and got to experience the social fabric of Alameda, both people watching the parade like us and others who were with their own contingent in the parade.
We saw the diversity of families, whether by race or gender, young and old, and different religious denominations. It didn’t seem to matter because it felt like everyone belonged. My boyfriend and I were part of the social fabric of Alameda just like everyone else who was there. The 4th of July seemed more like an excuse to be together in community, rather than to celebrate anything in particular.
There were no political speeches. To turn a phrase from the title of Robert Putnam’s book, no one was Bowling Alone. Young children supervised by their parents were giving out free hot dogs and water and lemonade. There was even a Kindness Coalition float. It was this feeling of kindness that gave me hope for the possibility of a truly multiracial democracy.
In this horrific time, when people are being othered because of who they are, this old fashioned parade was a reminder of the common humanity that we share. As Cornel West has said, “Justice is what love looks like in the public square.” For a brief moment, I felt like I was experiencing that communal emotion, and it reminded me of what it truly means to be an American.
Larry Best
Alameda
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