Activist groups plan protests to mark U.S. 250th anniversary

Activist groups are organizing a series of protests in New York City, Chicago, Boston, and other cities from June 19 through July 4, with a main event scheduled in Washington, D.C., on June 27. The coalition, which includes organizations focused on race-related issues, describes its activities as an effort to present a different perspective on the country's next 250 years.

The June 27 demonstration is being led by Next250, which states it seeks to recount U.S. history from the viewpoints of women of color and other marginalized identities.

Coalition members and stated goals Liberation Ventures, which advocates for reparations for Black people, and the BLIS Collective are also participating. The BLIS Collective is hosting an event in New York City on June 20 that it says will rehearse a liberated future ahead of the anniversary.

Next250's website states that the United States has existed in the gap between its founding ideals and actions including genocide, land theft, and slavery. The group calls for interdependence and expanded participation in national life. Get Free Together, another participating organization, states that official programming erases Black, Brown, and Indigenous people from U.S. history and replaces their stories with images of wealthy white men.

The group says a supremacist faction is attempting to maintain control.

Official anniversary programming Freedom 250, the organization associated with President Donald Trump, and America250, the commission established by Congress, are conducting separate events. Freedom 250 plans include a free IndyCar race in Washington, D.C., and a 16-day Great American State Fair featuring all 50 states.