Juneteenth - My Experience, History, and Why We Should Honor the Day.

Ever since I was a little girl growing up in Richmond, California, celebrating Juneteenth was the norm. I believe this tradition has carried on, due to most of the families that moved to Richmond in the 1930’s - 70’s, were Black and came through The Great Migration, from the Midwest and southern states. Annually, there is a Juneteenth festival and parade, with floats, trucks, cars, and anything else that would create a caravan, as people sing songs and party from Carlson Boulevard to Macdonald Avenue. The whole community is involved, from the churches, police and fire department, local businesses, youth groups, and more!

The Richmond festival is held at Nicholl park, which is a staple in the city. This park is 21 acres of lawn area, baseball/softball fields, a playground, a tennis court, BBQ areas, and a golf putting green where my dad first taught me how to putt at 4 years old. Every year, Juneteenth is a day filled with performances, food, play, and an overall good time with friends and family. You can find my dad, who is a community leader, minister, and singer, on one of the stages singing a song from his gospel album, “It’s Time For Love”. 

Even though this was a normal celebration for me, when I moved to Texas 15 years ago, I learned that not all Black people around the country celebrated Juneteenth, or even knew what it was! I didn’t truly understand the importance of the day myself, until I took personal time to learn the magnitude of its significance.

In order to truly understand the importance of Juneteenth, we will need to have a hard conversation about the Civil War, the 13th Amendment, Abraham Lincoln, and the idea that enslaved people were “given” their freedom. I’ll let Dr. Bethany Jay tell you about the end of the Civil War, and how enslaved people’s participation in the war helped subvert the institution of slavery. Check out this podcast/transcript of an amazing history lesson, https://www.learningforjustice.org/podcasts/teaching-hard-history/american-slavery/slavery-and-the-civil-war-part-2.

Juneteenth commemorates the anniversary date of June 19, 1865, the day that union army general, Gordon Granger, read General Order No. 3: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”, to the enslaved people who were yet to hear the news that they were now proclaimed free from slavery in Texas. These people of Galveston, Texas were notified two and a half years after slavery had already been outlawed, in Texas and the other states! Imagine the feeling these individuals had knowing that they could have been free two and a half years prior. All kinds of celebrations took place after hearing the news. As more Black people migrated from the south to other states, the Juneteenth tradition spread.

Just this week on June 17, 2021, Congress and president Joe Biden acted swiftly to approve Juneteenth as a federal and US holiday. This is the first federal holiday established since Martin Luther King Jr. day in 1983. During the signing ceremony Biden said, "I have to say to you, I've only been president for several months, but I think this will go down, for me, as one of the greatest honors I will have as president".

This is a 'nice to have', but more importantly than just honoring this day, there is more work to do, like protect voting rights, addressing mass incarceration, police violence, redlining, environmental racism, just to name a few.

How can you celebrate/support Juneteenth?

• Support Black-owned businesses
• Read books written by Black authors and poets
• Watch Black TV shows and movies
• Visit an exhibit or museum dedicated to Black culture
• Donate to Black organizations and charities
• Send letters to your senator condemning any voter suppression laws in your state

Here is a great video on 'Why all Americans should honor Juneteenth':

Photo credits: Richmond Standard, and National Museum of African American History and Culture