By Angela Borders
June 16, 2021
Juneteenth
As you might have heard, Juneteenth was recently officially made a federal holiday. A lot of people are having an understandably mixed reaction to this news as it comes at a tumultuous time in our history in which very specific requests have been made that had nothing to do with holidays (things like police reform, reparations, and more). And yet, there is good to be seen here in that a day is being set aside to face our history, acknowledge the suffering of so many, and celebrate progress that can and must be possible. Is a federal holiday a band aid that fixes racial inequality? Of course not. But can it serve to help create awareness, push for community and systemic change, and celebrate diversity? Heck yes.
What is Juneteenth?
We have to be honest, up until 2018, we had never heard of Juneteenth, and that in itself is exactly why we choose to write about it. For anyone else who is unfamiliar with this, like we were, Juneteenth is a celebration recognizing the announcement following the Civil War and Emancipation Proclamation, that the African American slaves were free. It’s a day of remembrance, excitement, joy, and gratitude for progress that was hard fought for in our country.
The History
On June 19th, 1865, Union soldiers, led by General Gordon Granger, announced that the slaves were free. Now if you know your history (which we honestly didn’t so much), you may be thinking, “hey, but the Emancipation Proclamation was over two years before that!”, and you would be right, you awesome, awesome history buff! However, for …reasons… the news of the slaves being freed was very slow moving. There are some claims that it just took that long for the news to spread (they didn’t exactly have viral videos in those days), but there are also accounts of a messenger being murdered to keep the news from spreading, farmers trying to get in one last harvest, and people just willfully not letting the news get around. Whatever the reason, this life changing news was delayed for over 2 years, and that moment of freedom didn’t exactly mean instant peace. (Juneteenth.com)
Many slaves immediately fled, some before the announcement was even concluded. However, in many cases, they were not just left to peacefully head north. They faced angry slave owners who saw this announcement as their property being taken away, and while the African American slaves rushed to try and escape, the slave owners shot, beat, and killed many. (http://mentalfloss.com/article/501680/12-things-you-might-not-know-about-juneteenth)
The actual announcement encouraged slaves to stay on as employees of their previous owners, but for obvious reasons, most chose to leave and reunite with family in the north, or just to leave because they were free to do so. However,
The optimism was short-lived…and soon replaced by a betrayal so soul shattering blacks questioned whether the United States was serious about granting them their freedom. Ex-slaves found for the most part, that…they were left to fend for themselves. The abject poverty and the racism that maintained it, prohibited any hope for assimilated into American society. In Texas, the editor of the Harrison Flag newspaper denounced as “treasonable” the sale of land to blacks. The Texas Homestead Act, passed during Reconstruction, granted up to 160 acres of free land to white persons only. The Texas legislature in 1866 passed a new set of black codes that attempted to reverse the limited gains blacks had been granted.
Ex-slaves entered freedom under the worst possible conditions. Most were turned loose penniless and homeless, with only the clothes on their back. Ex-slaves were, as Frederick Douglass said “free, without roofs to cover them, or bread to eat, or land to cultivate, and as a consequence died in such numbers as to awaken the hope of their enemies that they would soon disappear.” (http://drcharlestaylor.com/JuneteenthCelebrateFreedom.pdf)
And as we all know, it was not…is not, a short, fast, easy road to racial equality here in America. Whole generations have come and gone again and again since the first Juneteenth, which was one year from the original announcement in Texas by General Gordon Granger. That’s …over one hundred and fifty three Juneteenth’s ago. And still we struggle with racial issues every day.
All of this is heavy subject matter. This history is not a happy story. It’s not one that is easy to write. But as Americans it is our history. And it’s one we should not forget. Without facing the darkness we are capable of as a species, we will never move past our worst, on to our best. By facing this past head on, and celebrating that we have made progress, and can keep making progress, we give these stories power—to both be cautionary tales and a glance back to see the progress we have made, and can continue to make.
How it’s Celebrated
There are many ways to celebrate Juneteenth; a list of ideas can be found here: https://www.nytimes.com/article/juneteenth-celebration-history.html. Whether it be eating traditional foods, recognizing the achievements of African Americans, or just taking time to reflect on our history, any action that involves acknowledging our past and celebrating those who help push for equality is a great idea. Some Juneteenth celebrations might involve readings from African American leaders or writers, like Martin Luther King Jr. or Frederick Douglass. Others might involve somber naming aloud of victims of racial hate crimes or police violence. Also, lighter activities like block party barbecues or parades can be a great way to celebrate. Really it’s up to you and your community to decide how best to celebrate, but the key idea is to appreciate the weight of this historic shift.
Why it’s important, Possibly More now than Ever
It’s pretty common knowledge that we are living in a political and social climate that is often divisive, negative, and heated. There seem to be so many narratives and rallying cries pushing different groups apart, forcing people to view things as “us” versus “them”. This is not only counterproductive politically, but is extremely emotionally and psychologically taxing. Seeing the world and people around us as either for or against us is, well, scary. With so much rhetoric pushing us further and further away from each other, it’s all the more important to work together, celebrate victories together, and recognize and appreciate growth, progress, and accomplishments that benefit everyone (We hope it is safe to say that all sides of the aisle are pretty comfortable saying it’s a good thing we don’t ENSLAVE each other anymore!!). Being able to connect and share in an important conversation about how we can improve, a joyful celebration of gains we have made, and a somber reflection of the losses and pain our country has been through, is so needed right now. It’s also an opportunity to show each other that while we may not all see eye to eye on every policy or candidate or issue, we can all agree that enslaving people is not ok, that all humans should be treated with kindness. So, let’s get together and remind each other of that, and that we are so grateful so many fought for just that idea.
How to Get Involved
Events
Although Juneteenth is officially June 19th, there are events going on all weekend, all over the Sacramento region! Below we’ve listed a bunch, sorted chronologically and with links to more detailed information.
Sacramento Library Juneteenth Exhibit, TBA
https://www.library.ca.gov/collections/online-exhibits/juneteenth/
Davis Juneteenth Block Party June 17th
https://leadership.ucdavis.edu/news/juneteenth-day-joy-and-reminder
Old Sacramento Waterfront Juneteenth Freedom Celebration, June 17th
Capitol City Juneteenth Celebration, June 18th
St. Hope Juneteenth Block Party, June 19th
https://www.sthope.org/event/juneteenth-block-party
Oak Park Juneteenth Car Caravan and Picnic, June 19th
https://www.oak-park.us/news/car-caravan-picnic-highlight-juneteenth-celebration
Land Park Juneteenth Festival, June 19th
sacramentojuneteenthinc.org/festival/
Culturally Creative Art Juneteenth Community Celebration, June 19th
Juneteenth Storytime, June 19th
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQKsxHWpclZ/
Sacramento Annual Juneteenth Festival, June 19th
https://www.sacramento365.com/event/sacramento-juneteenth-2021/
African Diaspora Cultural Exhibition and Food Tasting, June 19th
Rancho Cordova Juneteenth Freedom Celebration, June 19th
Elk Grove Summertime Juneteenth Bash, June 19th
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/juneteenth-summer-bash-tickets-158846511191?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
Ways to Raise Awareness
There are lots of ways you can raise awareness about this holiday and help promote equality. Just a few ideas are:
Share on social media:
-this blog post
-events going on, photos and/or information from those events
-coverage you see of these events shared by others, in the news, or on social media
Share in person:
-talk with colleagues, friends, etc. about this day and its importance
Connect with others:
-Join a group or cause that promotes equality. There are lots of facebook and meetup groups centered around many causes, or, if you are a student, check out if your campus has a group focused on racial equality you could get involved with.
We hope everyone has a safe and happy Juneteenth.
If you or someone you know would like to work with a therapist who is knowledgeable and aware of racial issues, consider checking out our listings for therapists who specialize in working with racial issues.
