Some refer to June 19 as Freedom Day, others call it Emancipation Day, but it is most widely known as Juneteenth. If you live in America, you shouldn’t just know about this holiday, you should be celebrating it. Read on to find out how and why you should pay attention to Juneteenth this year, the holiday that defined how millions of citizens were able to pursue freedom and happiness.
Because June 19, 1865, is an important date
A time to teach
Children arrive in this world completely innocent and unaware of the wrongs done by those before them. Tactfully approaching the subject of our country’s dark history is enough to give any parent a bit of anxiety. Knowing when to bring up the topic to kids is just as crucial. Celebrating Juneteenth can introduces this necessary knowledge to your child while highlighting the end of slavery.
Acknowledge the past
Tension tends to grow thick in a room when the conversation turns toward slavery. The way to push through the awkwardness without offending anyone or wanting to duck into a corner is to try to empathize and listen before responding. Slavery isn’t very far back in our past, and the way to deal with it is to acknowledge how the forced bondage of yesterday affects our society today.
There's a shared history
From 1619, when the first slave ships landed in Jamestown, Virginia, until soldiers arrived in Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865, slaves were building the brand-new USA. Even though people were divided by unimaginable racism, there is an American origin story that involves all of us. Juneteenth puts a spotlight on one of the more triumphant moments in time, when we began to collectively change our minds.
Congress supports Juneteenth
In June 2009, Senator Roland Burris introduced a resolution observing the historical significance of Juneteenth Independence Day. This document finally shows that the federal government is attempting to support important parts of African American heritage that haven’t been given fair exposure in the past. There are long strides to make in the pursuit of equality for all, but if Congress can unanimously decide that Juneteenth is historically relevant enough to celebrate, what’s stopping the rest of us?
Set the example
As the generations before us have proven, we are a progressive species. Our parents tried to improve on what our grandparents achieved, and we are going to spend the rest of our lives trying to make Mom and Pop proud. The only way our children will make a better world for their future sons and daughters is if we show them how. Recognizing Juneteenth is an influential way to be a powerful example of progression.
The nation began to transition
When Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Texas and read off the orders of ceased slavery, people had mixed reactions. Some former slaves immediately left the plantations they’d known as home, even if they had no other place to go. Some resistant ex-owners did everything they could to stop what they thought of as their “property” from leaving. This frantic reaction was called “The Scatter” and reflected the extreme gravity Juneteenth had on the lives of Americans during the nation’s transition.
