This July 4th, as we celebrate Independence Day, I find myself reflecting not just on what freedom means, but on how we actively create it—together. A quote from jazz pianist and civil rights activist Hazel Scott has been echoing in my mind:
“Who ever walked behind anyone to freedom? If we can’t go hand in hand, I don’t want to go.”
These words shook something loose in me. True freedom cannot leave anyone behind. We cannot claim independence while demanding others walk behind us. As long as we have divisiveness among people, we don’t have genuine freedom—we have selective privilege.
As women, we’ve been taught to decenter ourselves, to take up less space, to follow rather than lead. But if we are the great creators of life, culture, and community, why should we walk behind? Women are leaders, innovators, and so much more. We deserve to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with everyone else—seen, heard, and valued.
This is precisely why Ava’s Pathways exists. We don’t settle for scraps of equality. We refuse to leave women out of the conversation or behind on the path. Freedom is for everyone, and it starts with each of us actively pursuing a life worth living.
When I think about independence through the lens of our “Believe, Become, Belong” philosophy, freedom transforms from a static concept into an active, evolving process:
Believe means recognizing your inherent worth and right to walk alongside others, not behind them. It means believing that your voice matters, your dreams are valid, and your presence enriches every space you enter.
Become is the active work of creating the life you envision. It’s choosing growth over comfort, empowerment over settling, progress over perfection. It’s understanding that independence isn’t just declared—it’s built, day by day, choice by choice.
Belong acknowledges that true freedom is collective. When we create spaces where everyone can thrive, we strengthen our own ability to be free. We belong to each other in this journey, walking hand in hand rather than competing for limited space.
This year, instead of just celebrating freedom, I want to look at today as the first day of actively making it. Mindset, growth, and empowerment aren’t static achievements—they’re evolving, ever-changing processes, just like freedom itself.
A person’s independence is reinforced when they actively pursue building a life worth living. That means making choices that honor your values, surrounding yourself with people who see your worth, and refusing to accept less than you deserve. It means standing up when others try to make you walk behind.
Freedom isn’t something that happened once in 1776 and was completed. It’s something we must choose and create continuously. Every time we support another woman’s rise, every time we refuse to be diminished, every time we walk hand in hand instead of competing for scraps—that’s freedom in action.
So this Independence Day, I’m not just celebrating what was declared centuries ago. I’m recommitting to the daily work of creating freedom—for myself and alongside every woman who refuses to walk behind.
True freedom means we all get to walk forward together. That’s the spirit of Ava’s Pathways, and that’s the future we’re building, one step at a time.
