It takes a village to make a change and brushing up on allied history can be beneficial in your own education on allyship and justice work. How Can Non-Black Americans Celebrate Juneteenth?įor people who identify as white, one way to connect to the work of abolishing slavery and the connected oppressive systems is by learning the work of past and current white abolitionists and civil rights activists. It would be a disservice to learn history and not recognize all the people and stories that makeup what happened and what is still happening today. Many people from all different walks of life, no matter their race, have participated and contributed to the work of abolition and civil rights. We have to remember that Black history is American history, and the freeing of enslaved people and fighting oppression is a story we share as a nation. ![]() Is Juneteenth a Black-Only Holiday?Īlthough Juneteenth centers and celebrates an incredible milestone and historical moment in Black liberation history, it does not mean only Black people can celebrate. Celebrating Juneteenth is to live in the essence of a shared jubilee day and to mirror that principle in all parts of our lives. If people and the planet are not both thriving, our work is not done. As an advocate and activist in the environmental justice space, it is a similar spirit I put into my work. We recognize that true liberation cannot be possible if some still remain in bondage. We collectively celebrate on June 19th because it is the day the last were freed, not the first. Once the slave owners had time to reap their desired amount of capital from the cotton harvests, federal troops were then given the green light to finally enforce the freeing of those slaves. ![]() For two years and 169 days, the enslaved people of Texas were barred from learning about and experiencing their freedom. The reason the news took so long to get to Texas was because the proclamation was deliberately withheld by enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations. ![]() It was not until June 19, 1865, that soldiers marched into the town of Galveston, Texas to give that life-changing news: The Civil War had ended and all enslaved people were finally free from the sinister system of chattel slavery. You’ll find that many different places in America have their own Jubilee Day celebrations, depending on when enslaved people got their freedom. Both my mom and nana have told me stories of celebrating on August 8 and how that was the one day out of the year our town’s local park waived the “Whites Only” rule. This day would become known as “Jubilee Day,” which has roots in the biblical meaning of ‘jubilee,’ referring to every 50th year when people were freed from their debts, released from their slavers, property was returned, and the year was dedicated to rest. My own ancestors on my mother’s side were enslaved in Tennessee and would not see freedom until August 8, 1863. This proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863, but the actual implementation and enforcement of this proclamation was not swift. The proclamation declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.” What is Juneteenth?Īfter the Civil War, a presidential proclamation and executive order, the Emancipation Proclamation, was issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln. So if you fall into the camp of “What is Juneteenth?”, let’s explore how this monumental date in history impacted our nation and why we are all encouraged to observe and celebrate America’s other National Independence Day. With no context, direction, or guidance, this day can become ‘just another day.’ For Americans who have never been exposed to or participated in observing the recently instituted federal holiday, there can be confusion on how to celebrate or even why they should care. Or it may even be the first time someone has heard of the word “Juneteenth”. ![]() For many people in the U.S., this is the first time they will experience a day off to observe. In June 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation that made June 19, Juneteenth, a federal holiday.
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