Anyone Who Has A Problem With JUNETEENTH Needs To Know One Thing
“Every year, we must remind successive generations that this event triggered a series of events that one by one defines the challenges and responsibilities of successive generations. That’s why we need this holiday.” — Al Edwards
What is Juneteenth?
According to NBC, Juneteenth is the commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States.
On June 19, 1865, Gen. Gordon Granger arrived with Union soldiers in Galveston, Texas, and announced to enslaved African Americans that the Civil War had ended, and they were free — more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
The Root explains the significance of Juneteenth perfectly in this video:
The celebration of Juneteenth was a time for gathering together and passing on stories of the atrocities they faced as well as a time for healing emotional wounds and consoling one another. Much like family reunions today, elders recounted events of the past, while reminding the youth about the truth of who they are and encouraging education and self-improvement. Today, this celebration acknowledges the achievements of African Americans while encouraging self-reflection and the importance of respecting all cultures.
“For Africa to me… is more than a glamorous fact. It is a historical truth. No man can know where he is going unless he knows exactly where he has been and exactly how he arrived at his present place.” — Maya Angelou
Admittedly, growing up in the South was a constant reminder that I would never be good enough as a black girl. The only time we discussed black writers and leaders was during Black History Month. I hated the stares, laughs, and being forced to express what slavery meant to me. It was embarrassing and created this deep hatred for myself and my ethnicity. During heritage day, I would be very frustrated because I didn’t know who I was outside of oppression and slavery. This ignorant stance, perpetuated by the lack of a proper Black History curriculum, made me hate my identity. I was lost and felt like God placed me here for comedic enjoyment. Black was, for me, a curse.
However, as I grew older and began to unravel the mess society imprinted in my subconscious mind, I took a deep dive into the plethora of educational resources about Africa, the many achievements of African Americans, and our countless contributions to society. Maya Angelou’s words took on a deeper meaning because opening my mind and heart to my history helped rewrite the narrative given to me by a biased society. I found myself, and I finally felt like I belonged somewhere in this vast universe.
Sadly this celebration is not viewed as well by those who still see African Americans as the bottom of society. In fact, beneath nearly every YouTube video about Juneteenth, I found ignorant comments about this being a “made up” holiday and a way for people to oppress white people further.
If you have a problem with Juneteenth, you need to know that you are upset with a group of people celebrating freedom the same thing you gladly commemorate every year on July 4th. You need to know that honoring one’s culture is not a threat to you. Instead of chastising African Americans for taking a day to remember the past and celebrate our achievements, you should instead ask yourself why you’re so flabbergasted that you’d go out of your way to make this into some form of oppression for White people. We are always gaslighted and dismissed for being proud of who we are and demanding respect and a fair chance in life. You’d think we were demanding something ridiculous like the right to enter an establishment without wearing a mask during a national pandemic.
Juneteenth isn’t a problem. Asking for equality and fair treatment isn’t a problem or a ploy to create black superiority. We don’t want to be superior to any group. We want justice and freedom. That’s what we’ve always wanted. Of course, you could choose to be obtuse and not acknowledge what’s right in front of you, but deep down, you know it’s not right; you just don’t care. This truth is proven when the idea of African Americans receiving equality creates anxiety and fear inside of you. That fear of black superiority and oppression is stirred up inside of you because you understand that in the past, with advantage comes mistreatment of those beneath you. That’s why you are condescending and dismissive. That’s why you would rather silence us than acknowledge the awful truth and change.
You create a false reality that slavery never existed; black people are natural-born criminals. If slavery existed, then it still doesn’t matter because we weren’t in the fields and being beaten and hosed down in the street. You’re running from reality, and it’s a sad thing to witness. Yes, we weren’t slaves, but we were raised by grandparents, aunts, and uncles who were slaves, who were called colored or negro. We deal with racism and discrimination daily, and your attempt to manipulate and discredit the truth fans the flame of anger and creates an ever more unstable society.
You must realize we aren’t that far from slavery or the Civil Rights movement. I’m thankful for Ancestry.com for creating a place to help us discover our history. You will never understand the pain of seeing your grandparents referred to as negro, mulatto, and colored or seeing photographs of the ships used to move your ancestors around like cattle. In just a few weeks on Ancestry, I’ve discovered my family moving from Madeira, Argentina, Hawaii, and sadly Australia, where it appears my ancestors were a part of the stolen generation of aboriginals. The pain further deepened by seeing my relatives on the Indian census, Apache, Iroquois, and Klamath people who naively trusted European settlers. Our entire history has been chopped up and fed to us, filled with inaccuracies. Uplifting, educating, and healing should be everyone’s priority because no group is superior and deserves absolute power. You can’t claim ownership of a world you didn’t create.
I strongly encourage all of my people to utilize resources like Ancestry.com to discover the truth. Yes, today, Juneteenth is being acknowledged and celebrated, but let us continue to research and connect with our past as we work on creating a better future in this system. If you have a problem with Juneteenth, you need to know it’s not a threat or an attempt to elevate one race above another. It’s merely acknowledging our past and celebrating all of our histories. To my African family, I love you, I hurt with you, but this won’t be a reality for us forever. Soon we’ll experience true peace and security. Until then, continue to educate yourself about the history of our people, open your heart and mind to accepting all of your genetic makeup and uplifting and empowering one another.
YouTube channels great for research:
Smarthistory — https://www.youtube.com/user/smarthistoryvideos
The Root — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg5bOg1qVoZ2JDJ7MmjY63A
Reelblack — https://www.youtube.com/user/reelblack
Hometeam History — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC12lU5ymIvSpgl8KntDQUQA
The Reality Of The Slave Trade
Maya Angelou- I Am Human
