By KAREN LEARY, Glenn Church’s Racial Justice Caucus Member
“Hold those things that tell your history and protect them.” –Maya Angelou
If you have heard anything about Juneteenth, you may know that it falls on June 19 (today) and that it has sometimes been called Black Independence Day.
That’s a start. Here’s a video introduction. The short story is that on June 19, 1865 word finally reached enslaved people in the most remote corners of the Confederacy (Galveston, Texas) that they had actually been freed 2 ½ years earlier by the Emancipation Proclamation. The celebration of that announcement became an annual event, even through the oppressive times of Jim Crow and segregation, gaining momentum after the Poor People’s Campaign in 1968, and eventually becoming a holiday in more than 40 states, including Georgia.
Juneteenth is a time for families to gather and tell their stories, play games, sing, dance, have parades, and, of course, eat together. Try some of these Juneteenth recipes; barbecue and red food and drinks, symbolizing the perseverance of enslaved and oppressed people, are central to a Juneteenth menu.
Juneteenth is also a time for reflection about the contributions of ancestors who built families, communities, and a culture in a racist society. KLRU in Austin, Texas produces a "Juneteenth Jamboree" program every year to celebrate some of those achievements. You can also participate in Sweet Honey in the Rock’s Day of Remembrance at 8 pm on Friday.
You may have heard about a push to make Juneteenth a national holiday. This is where we come in, white people. Juneteenth should not be a Black holiday. The emancipation of enslaved people and the contributions of Black patriots to American culture and economy are not Black history. It’s American history, and all Americans should learn it, celebrate it, and work to fulfill the promise in the Declaration of Independence of equality for all. An easy way to start is to sign this petition to Congress to make Juneteenth a national holiday. The harder next step is to realize the ways in which we still do not have equality for all, and we need to talk about that.