Closing out the Creative Expressions Celebrating Juneteenth series I want to touch on how over the years we have seen social media shape Juneteenth into something stretched far from it’s original significance.
Now that Juneteenth is officially a federal holiday, the entire country gets to celebrate the dawn of a new era in American history. If it were not for people like Texas State Rep. Al Edwards and Mrs. Opal Lee this day would not have come.
There have been ebbs and flow when it comes to the heightened awareness of Juneteenth. But the significance usually gets lost in the shuffle. And the past couple of years, Juneteenth has been at the forefront of Black Revolutionary talk. A day that has been co-opted into representing varied thoughts within the Black community.
I shared with Deborah Douglas for her piece in Vice News about my mixed emotions of Juneteenth going national. How the narrative was being overtaken and watered down to include and incorporate pieces of Black History from different time periods thus erasing the strides that Black Texans made when it came to bringing Juneteenth to the forefront and keeping it there.
As we entered Juneteenth’s new dawn, we must hold onto the significance of the day while praying for a promising turning point for social justice, economic development, civil rights and more for the Black community’s tomorrow.
I asked this question before I even knew Juneteenth would be made into a federal holiday this year. The question was, “How do you feel about other people outside of Texas celebrating?” And my peeps who’ve contributed to this series shared their thoughts.
“Go for it. Often times the narrative gets lost in the BBQ’s, mattress sales and all the noise. If people truly look at this day to reflect on progress, community and family- the celebrations would mean even more. Read a book, interview someone, give back, find a way to support black employees, families and truly embrace the history.”
Vannessa Wade
“Since people are more mobile now, and move from state to state, I think it is great that they want to celebrate Juneteenth. Until recently most people who live outside of Texas had never heard of that day or it’s significance. They should celebrate, but make sure they KNOW it is specific to Texas on June 19, 1865 that all enslaved people in the USA were officially freed.”
Cynthia L.
Again from the perspective of Black Texans, we always revert back to making the significance of Juneteenth the foundation of the celebration. And with a new dawn on the horizon that everyone gets to celebrate this day, we must remain steadfast in ensuring that the legacy is not lost but that legacy also propels us forward to bring about transformative policies that will alleviate the pain that has permeated beneath the surface within the Black community since we began celebrating Juneteenth.
Like Vannessa and Cynthia mentioned above, one way to get to the heart of Juneteenth’s significance is to read some books about the origins and how that day has reverberated throughout the generations. Here’s just a few to get started:
Images of America: African Americans of Galveston
by Tommie D. Boudreaux and Alice M. Gatson
Island of Color: Where Juneteenth Started
by Izola Ethel Fedford Collins
On Juneteenth
by Annette Gordon-Reed
Juneteenth 101: Popular Myths and Forgotten Facts
by D. J. Norman-Cox
It’s a new dawn. It’s a new day. It’s a great time for Black people to stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, kept this celebration alive and used it as a way to help fight for change that will better our community.
A look through the eyes of Black Texan historians from 1865-2021 and how Juneteenth has shaped our history. This is actually a well put together story from Galveston to Houston and how the foundation laid over 150 years ago is still holding up our community today.
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