"Leading up to this year’s #FourthofJuly , the national cry of “Black Lives Matter!” has gone global. That in itself, perhaps, is reason to celebrate," writes @drantipas .

The Uighur uprising of July 5, 2009 and ensuing ethnic violence charted the way forward for China’s current crackdown, human rights advocates and diaspora Uighurs say.

“Symbols of faith shouldn’t be mishandled,” said the president of the Universal Society of Hinduism. An interfaith coalition has launched a campaign to end the use of Buddhist and Hindu statues as decor in nightclubs.

Death Cafes, part of a broader “death-positive” movement to encourage more open discussion about grief, trauma and loss, are held around the world. Many meetings are moving online due to the #pandemic .

Mississippi is removing the Confederate symbol from its flag and replacing it with the word "In God We Trust." Critics say the state is trading “a white nationalist symbol for a Christian nationalist one.”

“Some victims are right when they complain that they offer their narrative to the Church, or Church authorities or even civil and statutory authorities, and they are left in the dark as to what is happening,” Archbishop Scicluna said.

This #FourthofJuly , be sure to check out our holiday archives here:

"As we approach our national Independence Day this year, I’m inspired by [Pauli Murray's] to look at the holiday as a chance to commemorate the past, but, even more importantly, to demand a better future," writes Carr Harkrader of @ifyc .

Two protests, two symbols: hair clippers and the kneeling man. This July 4th, we are confronted with a prophetic ultimatum: Choose, this day, which America will be born. Read the newest RNS column from @andrehenry