What is Juneteenth?

[00:00:00]So today is Junth and I was thinking to myself, how much do I really know about Junth? I mean, if you asked me what it was, I would get it right, but if you asked me to explain it, I think I'd get a little flustered. And I thought, you know what? I'm probably not alone in feeling that way. But Junth is a big part of American history, not just African-American history, but all American history. And I hate the idea of us being ignorant about something that has such real importance. So I thought I would take the opportunity to talk about what Junth is so we can all understand a bit better why we celebrate. So June 19th or Junth marks the day in 1865 when the enslaved people in Galveastston, Texas found out that the Civil War was over and they had been freed. But June 19th, 1865 was actually 2 and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It just took that long for the information to get to the people in Galveastston. President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring that as of January 1st, 1863, all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states would henceforward be free. Now, a lot of people think the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in America.

[00:01:09]But it didn't. It left a lot of states out and it exempted certain parts of the Confederacy. And the entire premise was dependent on the Union winning the Civil War, which at the time we were still in the middle of. What it did do was give the North a boost, capturing the hearts and imaginations of millions of Americans and fundamentally transforming the character of the Civil War to being about freedom. We have to remember that the Civil War wasn't started to free the slaves. It was started to keep the Union together. But about halfway through it, Lincoln saw the bigger picture and signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

[00:01:45]Slavery wasn't actually abolished in the United States until two years later with the passage of the 13th amendment in the Senate in April 1864 and the House on January 31st, 1865. Junth is therefore a commemorative holiday that celebrates the day in June 1865 when the Union soldiers arrived in the last town in the south to tell them that enslaved people were free. Over the years, Junth has been called freedom day, emancipation day, black 4th of July, and the second independence day. We have to remember that the 4th of July 1776, the day that most Americans celebrate our freedom and liberty, didn't include black Americans because at the time, black people were still enslaved. So, it's understandable that some black Americans don't see that date as fitting in with their own independence and freedom. I think it's important to know that despite the fact that Junth has only been a national holiday since 2021, the day has been sacred to many black communities for over 150 years. Carlos K. Hill, a history and black studies professor at the University of Oklahoma, says when he thinks about Junth, he thinks about it in context of the Emancipation Day celebrations that began in January of 1863, but that took on a whole new meaning when slavery was formally abolished in 1865. Hill talks about the idea of enslaved people being able to celebrate in public. The end of slavery wasn't just about not working for free.

[00:03:09]It was about being able to go where you wanted to go when you wanted to go. The freedom of being able to wander was a real thing. The ability to gather, to choose who you lived with, and where you stayed. The freedom of being able to keep your children and find and gather in groups with your family and friends.

[00:03:26]Hill points out that those early celebrations would have had African-American Civil War veterans in their uniforms. Previously enslaved people coming and going as they pleased and making public speeches. The most prominent black politicians who now represented the people would have come out and black men were able to register to vote. It all would have been a thrilling testament to freedom. But as Hill points out, even though slavery came to an end in 1865, the desire to master and dominate the black body in America did not. In fact, it's something we are still unable to truly deal with honestly as a country today. Slavery might have come to an end after the Civil War, but there were still a lot of people in this nation who didn't want to see it abolished, who fought tooth and nail against the 13th Amendment, who believed America was a white nation that should be ruled by white people and their descendants fight for the very same thing today. So, while every decade since the end of slavery has found black people more educated with more wealth and more status in American society, we have never properly dealt with racism or the perpetuation of random acts of violence against black people in this country. We couldn't even get a federal anti-ynching law until the Biden administration in 2022. And as everyone from EMTT Till to George Floyd shows us, we still have a very long way to go as a country when it comes to racial justice.

[00:04:46]These are just the kind of realities that are highlighted on Junth and things that we should be thinking about as a culture. We can say slavery was abolished in 1865, but the fact of the matter is we have more black people in prison today than we had in 1850. And since we don't really pay felons a wage, we actually have more people doing slave labor today than we had at the height of slavery. So the fight for civil rights continue and historians and professors remind us that Junth is a day that provides people with a sense of encouragement and inspiration to continue that fight for freedom. As this day becomes more popular as a federal holiday, many people now get it off from work and school. It will allow people to look at our past and hopefully learn more about African-American history.

[00:05:31]Marcia Chatlin, professor of African-American history and African-American studies at Georgetown University, says, "The day asks us to consider the incredible legacy of slavery in America." The Smithsonian Museum of African-American History and Culture says Junth is about the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times.

[00:05:50]So, knowing all that, you might wonder if there's a right way to celebrate Junth. Is it a solemn day of remembrance, or is it a celebration? Do you say happy Junth or is it just for black Americans or can white Americans celebrate the end of slavery too? Like most things, there doesn't seem to be one right way to celebrate Junth. Junth will always be a deeply emotional day for descendants of enslaved people.

[00:06:12]Because for centuries, while they had hoped and prayed and fought for freedom, there were many who believed it would never come. There are black Americans who have been celebrating this holiday their whole life as a day of freedom that belonged to them. And there are African-Americans who grew up further away from Texas who have never had a big Junth celebration. And in the South, the celebration of the end of slavery could vary depending on when emancipation reached each state. There are people who choose to treat Junth as a day of rest and remembrance, while there are others who do community service or take time off, but most people seem to have family and community gatherings like cookouts and barbecues. Dr. Karita Brown, sociology professor at Emory University, whose research focuses on race, says there's no reason to feel awkward about wanting to recognize Junth because you don't have any personal ties or you aren't black. She says she thinks we should all embrace it. That the story of Junth is a history that belongs to everyone, the good, the bad, and the ugly. The story of emancipation for black Americans under the Constitution is part of our shared history. However, Dr. Brown says, "If you want to bring some authenticity to your recognition of Junth, you could educate yourself or attend a street festival or patronize a black business. Just take some time to learn about and celebrate the black community. If you look online, you're going to find a whole bunch of gatherings in major cities and suburbs.

[00:07:29]Everything from carnival type festivals with food trucks and parades to concerts and fashion shows that highlight black excellence." Dr. Brown says there's hope that Junth will become a day where people commit to not only asking for justice in their local communities, but to being curious enough to investigate history in a more deep and thoughtful way. At the end of the day, she says Junth is the opportunity to have the full human experience of seeing yourself in and through the eyes of others, even if that is not your particular lived experience. And apparently, you can wish people happy Junth. So, go ahead and do it. Happy Junth, everyone. Remember, no one is free until we are all free. Have a great day.