Random thoughts =Ideas that I ponder on throughout the day. Sometimes they will make sense, sometimes they won’t. We all have them, so no judgment. I just want to share mine, feel free to share your thoughts
Happy Juneteenth! For those of you wondering what it is, here’s a quick history lesson:
On June 19, 1865, enslaved people in Texas finally found out that they had been freed from bondage. Even though President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation over two years earlier, Texas slaveholders had hidden that fact from the people they kept in chains. Since then, generations of Black Americans have celebrated the anniversary of that liberation as “Juneteenth” a.k.a. “Freedom Day” a.k.a. “Proclamation Day”. – UCLA Labor Center
Here’s a short clip you might want to check out. And here’s a PBS film that talks about Juneteenth and how Texas (of all places) was the first one to declare Juneteenth a holiday.
I was off from work today, and summer camp for my son was also closed. My son asked me last night how we were going to celebrate it. I was stumped, It honestly didn’t cross my mind to look for ways to honor the holiday with my son. I didn’t even know that he would know about it, but I guess they explained it to the kids at camp since they were not going to be open.
I had planned to run errands and get a jump on some of my chores so that I could actually rest this weekend. Sad to say that was my Juneteenth. I think because it’s not something I usually celebrate I didn’t plan anything. It’s one of those holidays that I’m glad we have, because of its significance but I feel it doesn’t belong to me. Thus, I don’t celebrate. I do; however, need to get better at honoring it-intentionally.
Some of the white folks at my organization said they were going to give a day’s salary to a Black cause in honor of Juneteenth when asked how they were going to celebrate it. I think that’s pretty cool of them. That’s one way to benefit from the white guilt. What? We were all thinking it, I just said it.
Even though I don’t celebrate I’m glad we have it off. Not because, or not solely because I like a day off. But because I know it’s important to the Black community. We all know how hard it is to honor Brown and Black events and history in this country, so I don’t take it lightly. I remind anyone “willing” to work on this day; even though their organization has it as a holiday, of this all the time. Why we have Cinco de Mayo on our calendars I really don’t know, since that’s such a state specific celebration in Mexico. However, in the US we use it as an excuse to get drunk and be racist-yes, I mean you Sally from the Valley drinking your margaritas while wearing your sombrero. Por favor stop that. And no it’s not Mexican Independence Day.
I recently learned that not many schools teach about Juneteenth. The same goes for the history of Black Wall Street and the Massacre of 1921. Why? Because it paints this country in an awful light. Which is ironic because our American-grown brand of racism has made us globally famous, well that and our school shootings, and the clown that was our 45th President.
Unfortunately, even though Texas was the first state to celebrate Juneteenth they are still trying to control their residents with legislation that takes away certain rights, including that over their own bodies. Not to mention the heartless games its Governor plays with migrants.
I recently explained Juneteenth to my mother, she initially didn’t say anything. So, naturally I thought maybe I didn’t explain it correctly. But then she asked “for two years? They kept them as slaves for 2 years even though they were already free?” It wasn’t that she couldn’t believe it, she was saddened and disappointed by it. She believed it because she has witnessed the unfair treatment of people of color in this country first hand. I knew her disappointment, because I felt that in College every single time I learned of US involvement in a war, coup, and/or any other political or military involvement causing conflict in a foreign nation. I cringed every single time I learned something new. I felt disappointment in the pit of my stomach just as my mother was feeling right then and there.
We have Juneteenth and then we are supposed to celebrate July 4th. I haven’t worn stars and stripes for that holiday since I was a kid. Once you learn something there’s no going back to how things were. I can’t sit there with a sparkler and be excited about when the immigrants to this nation got their freedom, while in modern day their ancestors are trying to take mine.
Some feel the same about Juneteenth, as they see it: learning about your freedom and actually being free are completely separate things. Many honor today by having teach-ins to learn about the history of it all, discussing the state of Black America, and what still needs to be done to actually be free.
Whatever way you celebrate, doesn’t really matter. What matters (in my humble opinion) is that you know why it’s celebrated and why you have a day off.
This morning as my son got up he said “Happy Juneteenth Mami” . It took me by surprise and it made me smile. Next year, I’m definitely looking up some events and/or activities that we can do to honor this day.
Voz y Vida™ 