The following article has been published on Juneteenth 2020. Juneteenth, for those who do not know, is the 19th of June every year and is celebrated in the United States. It is also known as “Emancipation Day” or “Freedom Day”. This was when General Granger on the 19th of June 1985, announced that Texas slaves were free, this was the announcement of the end of slavery in the United States as despite President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation which “abolished” slavery, Texas did not enforce this. Therefore, it is a monumental event, particularly in this environment where there has been a rise in the Black Lives Matter Movement in light of the death of George Floyd at the hands of US police. The following article will go into detail about the response to Juneteenth and what Juneteenth means for us today.
What does Juneteenth Mean Today?
Juneteenth represents unfortunately that freedom isn’t just given but is fought for. While most of the other states had been emancipated by Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, it wasn’t until two years later that it was announced that slavery was abolished in Texas. Juneteenth represents a day to remember those who struggled, were dehumanised and enslaved by fellow humans. It is living proof that privilege existed and continues to do so. And now in 2020, Juneteenth is incredibly significant, with the strength of the Black Lives Matter Movement and progress being made in holding members of the police force accountable for their actions in crimes of police brutality. Black people throughout history have always had to fight to be heard, fight for their rights to be recognised and even fight to live. Juneteenth represents the freedom from slavery they fought so hard to achieve. However, black people are still suffering under the oppression of systemic racism and society. The Black Lives Matter movement shows that while black people may be free from physical slavery they are still slaves to systemic racism and to a society who refuses to see them as equal.
Should Juneteenth be Made a Federal Holiday?
With companies such as the NFL becoming more willing to see Juneteenth as a public holiday, the question now centres around why it has not yet been given federal status? Celebrations of Juneteenth have existed since 1865 and it is widely recognised as a state holiday. The President usually marks the date each year, but no president has yet supported its recognition as a federal holiday. However, in 2018, the US Senate passed a resolution to recognise the day as a national holiday. It has not yet been passed through the House. In the wake of mass protests over racial injustice, lifelong calls to recognise the day for the momentous occasion it is from activists such as Opal Lee are finally being heard. The importance of national holidays to the culture of a country cannot be overstated. They recognise moments in history that were critical to a State’s formation. Juneteenth is a recognition of the slavery African Americans were subjected to and the freedom they fought long and hard for. Most would agree that such recognition at federal level is long overdue.
To conclude, Juneteenth represents a lot for us today. It represents freedom that has been fought for, that seemed to be out of reach for so more. This is why people fight so hard for Juneteenth to be recognised as a federal holiday. It is an event to remind us of the cruelty of the past and remind us not to make those same mistakes. It is particularly important in light of the rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement in today’s society, reminding us that although slavery was abolished, society is still a slave to injustice. All lives cannot matter until the lives of people of colour matter.
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