Fourth of July 2020: Celebs reflect on Independence Day

By Wonderwall.com Editors 2:31pm PDT, Jul 4, 2020

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to surge in the U.S. amid a national reckoning on race, Americans, famous and otherwise, are reflecting on the Fourth of July a little bit differently this year. While some celebs still made their way to the BBQ grill, others, like Kerry Washington and Matthew McConaughey, used the Fourth to share their thoughts on how we can all pitch in to make America a safer and more equitable place. "Real talk," Kerry tweeted at the start of the holiday weekend. "For everything you do to 'celebrate' this weekend (beach, bbq, fireworks, etc.) do at least ONE thing to fight for social justice. Make a phone call, sign a petition, register to vote. It's not Independence Day until we're all free. 🙏🏾"

Keep reading to see what Matthew, Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry and more stars are saying about the holiday this year …

"We is going through some growing pains in this one aren't we?! It is hotter in more ways than one, but growing pains are a good thing because how the hell else are we going to grow up? I think we gotta look each other in the eye, I think we gotta look ourselves in the eye. We gotta look in the mirror and ask ourselves, 'How can I be better? … How can I have more compassion? How can I have more courage? How do I be more fair? How do I make sure I wear the damn mask?! We individually make these changes, that's how we make a collective change. That's how we get to next year's birthday and birthdays beyond that and we start partying again. Looking around and saying, 'Oh yeah, we always got work to do. We never arrived, but we improved.'" — Matthew McConaughey on Twitter

"This Independence Day, I am simply asking everyone to celebrate by getting LOUD. 🎆 #LetsGetLoud by using our voices, by changing the race and age voting gap, and driving everyone to the polls to vote this November. Many thanks to @MichelleObama for starting her organization #WhenWeAllVote, making it easier for people to register. And thank you for joining us by banding together to BE the change you want to see in the world." — Jennifer Lopez on Instagram

"Happy #FourthofJuly y'all!! Wishing a safe and restful time to everyone and their families. ⁣⁣⁣This year, we have re-defined what it means to be patriotic. Let's continue to fight for true independence for ALL this #IndependenceDay – check stories for ways to use your voice, advocate for those who need our help and create lasting and actionable change in your community. Cheers and Happy 4th! 🥂" — Halle Berry on Instagram

"Celebrate your Independence by making sure you are registered to vote! It's up to every U.S. citizen to be part of creating the change you want to see in our country. Let's get involved in our communities, our schools, our local governments. Your participation MATTERS. @whenweallvote @rockthevote @iamavoter #UseYourVoice #RegisterToVote." — Reese Witherspoon on Instagram

"My family never celebrated July 4th and I undertand now why….The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me….This Fourth July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn…" — Sunny Hostin on Twitter

"There's many ways to celebrate the #FourthOfJuly One way is celebrating the stories of the incredible men and women who protect our freedoms every day. So proud of orlandobloom for portraying a real hero." – Katy Perry on Twitter

"Nature enlivens the heart. Kurt and I took to the road. Look what we found: nature's perfection! We are all as perfect as we desire. Wishing you all a Happy 4th of July My love abound 😍" – Goldie Hawn on Instagram

"This time last year we were practicing our apocalypse skills… unaware that the world would actually be a VERY different place soon. Let's take today to spend with family SAFELY (for real, wear a mask pls) and remember that while July 4th represents freedom, we still have a lot of work to do in this country for real progress." — Jessica Biel on Instagram

"Whose #Independence is being celebrated today… asking for the ancestors. #TeamDL #independenceday #4thofjuly #Repost @kaepernick7 with @get_repost … 'Black people have been dehumanized, brutalized, criminalized, and terrorized by America for centuries, and today are expected to join in your commemoration of 'independence,' while you still enslaved our ancestors. We reject your celebration of white supremacy, and look forward to the day of true jubilation when liberation for all has been achieved.✊🏾 …' – Frederick Douglass" — DL Hughley on Twitter

"Happy birthday, America. Thank you for letting me live the American Dream. We must fight every day to make sure that dream is as true for a Black child born in Minneapolis as it was for a white bodybuilder born in Austria." — Arnold Schwarzenegger on Twitter

"Raising a toast to Old Glory today… Happy Independence Day America!!!! Be safe this 4th of July!" — Blake Shelton

"Today on the 4th of July, let's honor the memories of 25 year-old EMT Breonna Taylor and 20 year-old Pfc. Vanessa Guillen by getting justice for their families in working to hold our military and police force accountable for their murders." — Padma Lakshmi on Twitter

"We're experiencing good and necessary change right now in this country… and while July 4th represents freedom, it didn't always represent freedom for ALL. Today is a great reminder that we still have a lot of work to do ❤️" – Cindy Crawford on Instagram

"Happy Fourth of July, my friends! I am sending love to you and your families, and I hope you all enjoy this day together. I am spending the day with my wonderful family and counting my blessings, while also keeping my eyes, ears, and heart open to all of the change that still needs to happen in this country. We can do better, and we will." – AJ McLean