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The Juneteenth of Our Past
Juneteenth is a holiday a lot of us might not have heard of before the last couple of years. The day we celebrate emancipation for the enslaved African American people of the South. Specifically, on June 19th, General Granger declared all of the enslaved people of Texas free.
But it wasn’t a holiday that was broadly known or celebrated in our country till much more recently, despite having been celebrated by the descendants of that enslaved population almost ever since. Juneteenth feels like a new holiday, but it really isn’t. Instead, it’s a hallmark of the fact that the different groups of people in our country are still thoroughly divided. That one group of people may still celebrate their holidays alone, because not everyone in the country would be willing to celebrate with them, or even tolerate the celebration.
Juneteenth Now
The United States is best when we are a melting pot. When people are able to keep the things that make them unique and make them themselves, while also contributing those things to the beautiful tapestry of our country. Every thread is a different color, a different flavor, but all of them are beautiful.
Juneteenth is a celebration of the end of one of the darkest chapters in our shared history. That it’s only been recognized recently shows how much work there still is to do.
As our BIPOC brethren have been pointing out for generations, the potential of the United States can never be realized until all of us have an equitable place at the table.
Juneteenth, and the USA, in the Future
Juneteenth is an opportunity to reflect on the history of this country. When you look at the past honestly it gets easier to see how far we truly have come. How much better our country has gotten over time. But it also works to show us how much greater we could truly be. It shows what has changed, but also what hasn’t changed or hasn’t changed enough.
However you’re celebrating Juneteenth this year, I hope you’ll spare a moment to think about all the people, cultures, and things that make the United States, and how we can spin all that potential into a better future for everyone.
