Two years ago, New Hampshire declared May 21 Ona Marie Judge Day. Doing so, our state honored the woman who fled enslavement by our first president, George Washington, and bravely boarded a ship for New Hampshire.

The story of Ona Judge exposes the stark contradictions that have plagued our nation since its inception: our nation’s founding father was acclaimed for championing liberty even though he enslaved fellow human beings. Judge’s life was ensnared by the disparities between the ideal of freedom and the reality of bondage. Born into slavery at Washington’s plantation in Mount Vernon, she embarked on a journey of emancipation and found refuge here in New Hampshire. Ona Judge, as our state Legislature and governor rightly recognized, exemplifies our state motto of “Live Free or Die.”

Judge’s odyssey serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring struggle against oppression, and how we can overcome with the help of others to pursue freedom. This honor for Judge was instated very near to the 74th anniversary of the Nakba, when 700,000 Palestinians, including my own grandparents, were forced out of their homes by Zionists claiming the land now belonged to them to create the state of Israel — an injustice that the United States has deepened and failed to recognize, let alone rectify. It is very rare for us to acknowledge the contradictions of human history, which is why I’m proud to live in a state like New Hampshire that has recognized injustice in the past and why I hope we can stand on the right side of history once again.

As a Lebanon resident and a Palestinian American, I was so proud that Lebanon’s City Council was the first in New Hampshire to pass a resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, for the return of all hostages, and for humanitarian aid to the region.

The brave decision of the Lebanon City Council is a shining example in an era when the actions of our politicians often belie their rhetoric of serving the people. Just recently, the United States engaged in a spectacle reminiscent of the Hunger Games — airdropping 38,000 meals to Gazans while simultaneously funneling countless bombs and military armaments to the Israeli forces that are murdering them. Moreover, at the same time that the United States vetoed a United Nations permanent ceasefire resolution, Vice President Kamala Harris advocated for a six-week ceasefire — six weeks that coincide with the remaining presidential primaries, our votes to be cast for politicians seeking our trust just long enough to be elected. All the while, our government supplies weapons without condition to Israel. The hypocrisy is palpable, underscoring the lack of visionary social justice that honored Ona Judge.

Let us not avert our gaze from the contradictions that define our nation’s narrative. Instead, let us confront them with courage and conviction, for only through acknowledging our past can we aspire to build a future rooted in justice and equality. The full written ceasefire resolution, including ending U.S. military aid to Israel, has been sent to Lebanon’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Commission for further review. My hope is that our DEI Commission is not performative but authentic when they state they care for all human life. Caring for human life should include the Palestinians who are now being slaughtered for being born Palestinian on Palestinian soil in a region that should accord liberty and human rights to all who reside there. The DEI Commission should work to prevent the systematic oppression we have become accustomed to.

Let’s continue to honor Ona Judge’s legacy by putting forth a complete ceasefire resolution — not one that is watered down because of fear or pressure by political powers, but one that truly asks for this genocide and oppression to immediately end.

Dr. Ahlam Abuawad is a Lebanon resident and a member of Upper Valley for Palestine.