It started as an organic holiday, and continued all of these years. It cannot be stopped, only defunded.
The reason why it is a federal holiday is because of Opal Lee. She is the retired teacher that walked from Texas to Washington, DC to ask President Obama to make it one.
There is an excellent children’s book about her. I highly recommend everyone get it from their library. You will fall in love with her. She is a national treasure.
Thanks Sharon! I am fortunate to work for a private company that recognizes Juneteenth as one of our official holidays. I will take today as a day to rest and reflect on my ancestors.
Heather Cox Richardson has a good video on Juneteenth in her newsletter today. Another thing, among many, I didn’t know, was that along with the organic origins of the holiday, the federal government actually encouraged its commemoration in order to more widely inform black men of this whole new world in which they actually have the right to vote. When you look at it that way, Juneteenth should be right up there with Independence Day in the pantheon of important dates in American history.
I teach PreK and right now I’m teaching in our summer program. Juneteenth has been our focus this week. We’ll be having strawberries to celebrate today! The kids are excited! ❤️💛💚🇺🇸
Columbus Day, too. That one was pushed throughout the 1900s by the Italian-American community to celebrate their heritage & their impact on America. Ironically, today that huge wave of immigrants, once vilified and shunned, have been lumped into the “White & American” culture that maga seeks to promote.
Thank you for sharing this history. I’m sure even those of us who already knew the story of how the holiday came to be can gain some more understanding, and reflect on its current (racist) political context in our (racist) history. Your student TJ sounds like he was a generous teacher. ☺️
The title of the article is also worth focusing on. We all have these blind spots… areas where our experience just hasn’t taken us yet, or perspectives we’ve never been exposed to. The difference between a good person and someone who causes harm often comes down to what we do when those gaps are pointed out to us, or whether our curiosity allows us to seek out and confront the gaps even before they become an embarrassing gaffe. Recognizing that we don’t know everything isn’t a weakness; it’s actually what makes us human. But when we get defensive and deny those blind spots exist, we’re essentially saying that other people’s experiences and knowledge don’t matter, which diminishes their humanity. Which, one might argue, makes someone less of a good person.
I’ve found that approaching people with genuine interest and respect, even when I think I already understand their perspective, almost always teaches me something new. Maybe especially in those cases, because that’s when I’m most likely to have made assumptions. Sure, not every conversation will crack open some amazing new world for me to explore, but sometimes it does. Even if they are 100% wrong, it can be an exercise to figure out why your own opinion is more correct. Or even better: strengthen that opinion with knowledge of the counterargument.
And every single one of those interactions makes the space between us a little more respectful and kind. Respect and kindness is contagious. And honestly, that’s reason enough!
Happy Juneteenth y’all. Especially to those racists who refuse to celebrate. 🇺🇸
I wanted to do a little more research since I have the day off today (wasn't informed of this day off until yesterday afternoon!) and try to understand more about the few holdouts in Congress mentioned in Sharon's article. I found out that South Dakota was especially resistant to the holiday, and the details are pretty telling.
South Dakota was the last state to give Juneteenth any recognition at all, and even then only through a temporary governor's proclamation that then-Governor Kristi Noem signed on June 16, 2020, just three weeks after George Floyd's murder. The proclamation offered a one-day holiday that would need to be renewed annually. (As if the holiday differs in significance year by year…? Or were they openly admitting that this was just a meaningless token to absolve them of guilt…?)
When lawmakers had the chance in 2021 to make it a permanent state holiday, they refused. Twice. The resistance wasn't subtle either.
Republican Party Chair Dan Lederman told the Argus Leader that delegates had "concern over similarities in language between Independence Day on July 4 and the Juneteenth Independence Day from slavery." (So concerned!! What if people confused freedom for African Americans with freedom for REAL Americans????)
One Republican senator named Ryan Maher questioned during testimony about what Juneteenth had to do with South Dakota! Maher said the Battle of Slim Buttes and other episodes from South Dakota history haven’t yet been recognized. “I think we should address them before we go down this road,” Maher said.
And when Democratic State Senator Reynold Nesiba was pushing for the recognition, he relayed this story to describe what he was up against: "I had a legislator, who was then the speaker of the house, look at me during testimony and say, 'We don't want to dilute our population with a second culture.' So there is a white nationalist strand in South Dakota legislature that's simply opposed to this on principle."
The best they were willing to offer was making it a "working holiday" (the same status as “Peter Norbeck Day” and “Day of the American Cowboy”), a distinction that would've been a slap in the face.
Meanwhile, Noem spoke at CPAC 2021, calling "the 1619 Project, critical race theory" nothing but "hate, division, and it's not American." So…she could proclaim a holiday commemorating the end of slavery when the political pressure was on in 2020, but actively fought against teaching about the ongoing effects of that same history when it didn’t suit her politics.
South Dakota only ended up with permanent recognition because federal law forced their hand when Biden made it a national holiday.
Going back to what I was previously saying about respecting those who believe differently, I do believe that. BUT… as Maya Angelou said "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time," and this is exactly what she meant. I'm all for approaching people with curiosity and respect, but that doesn't mean we can't call out racism when we see it. There's a difference between not knowing something and actively resisting learning about it for years while making statements about not wanting to "dilute" the population.
But then again, calling out that pattern doesn't mean writing people off forever. It means being honest about what happened while still leaving room for genuine growth and change. People and governments can do better when they're ready to, but pretending the resistance never happened doesn't help anyone learn from it.
“First things first: Juneteenth is not ‘fake’ or ‘woke.’ It’s not what is meant by the pejorative version of ‘DEI.’ It’s a real holiday that comes from a rich tradition.”
Thank you for saying this, Sharon. I still have a lot to learn about this holiday and the associated events that led up to it, but I will never understand the anger and disrespect so many people have toward the celebration and awareness of this holiday.
Thank you for being a great educator and for your sharing your story about Juneteenth. It really opened my eyes. My son, who took AP History class in high school, also had never learned about Juneteenth until he researched it on his own and he felt disappointed that something so important was not part of his education. I am truly grateful that Juneteenth is now a federal holiday. It is long overdue, and I appreciate voices like yours who continue to educate and inspire others. Thank you Sharon!
Yes, Texas didn’t want them to know because they fought the War to keep enslaving people to keep that enormous wealth their unpaid work provided. It wasn’t until the military showed up to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, and after the Confederate General Kirby surrendered the last army and fled to Mexico, that the enslaved learned that they were free (kinda, they were now “employees” but it was something better than chattel slavery.) If you Google Heather Cox Richardson you’ll find she has put out a short, more informative, video and Substack about Juneteenth.
I was fortunate to be raised in a Texas school district and community that valued and celebrated Juneteenth. Many of my fellow Texans were not due to the whitewashing and romanticizing of Confederate and Texas history. On Juneteenth is a must read. I'll have to get Dr. Tisby's book also.
I'm with Sharon; I had never heard of it. I've still had to Google it every year to remember the significance.
This year feels different though. This time, I don't think I'll forget. Seeing and hearing about all the oppression and discrimination, I want to remember about it. I want to support it. I want to support those who are under attack. Me remembering about Juneteenth isn't really significant, but maybe it can be part of the things I do that can add up to significance.
I have lived in Houston Texas, literally next door to Galveston, most of my 64 year life. I didn't know about Juneteenth most of my life, and when I did learn of it, I didn't know the whole story until after my 40s! It's embarrassing...
The cliche is ‘history is written by the victors’ but it’s probably more like the history we choose to elevate is chosen carefully. People don’t like to deal with uncomfortable realities or be uncomfortable themself. History is messy and imperfect, because people are.
I heard about Juneteenth when I worked for a children's home in Texas. One of the AA teen girls who lived in one of the cottages I worked in 2001 told me about it. They celebrate in a local park in the neighborhood near the campus. I was in my 20s and I didn't comprehend the importance of it at the time. Didn't give it another thought until they decided to make it a national holiday 20 years later.
I also work for a company that commemorates this day and gives the employees the day off. I am grateful for their recognition because I’ve learned more about my country’s history (the good, the bad and the ugly). Thanks Sharon and your team for being in the “good” aisle of our great nation’s treasures.
It started as an organic holiday, and continued all of these years. It cannot be stopped, only defunded.
The reason why it is a federal holiday is because of Opal Lee. She is the retired teacher that walked from Texas to Washington, DC to ask President Obama to make it one.
There is an excellent children’s book about her. I highly recommend everyone get it from their library. You will fall in love with her. She is a national treasure.
Thanks for this comment! I looked up the kids book about opal lee and bought it for my 9 month old daughter 😊
Aw!! Great way to embrace the holiday and keep it alive!
Thanks Sharon! I am fortunate to work for a private company that recognizes Juneteenth as one of our official holidays. I will take today as a day to rest and reflect on my ancestors.
Heather Cox Richardson has a good video on Juneteenth in her newsletter today. Another thing, among many, I didn’t know, was that along with the organic origins of the holiday, the federal government actually encouraged its commemoration in order to more widely inform black men of this whole new world in which they actually have the right to vote. When you look at it that way, Juneteenth should be right up there with Independence Day in the pantheon of important dates in American history.
I teach PreK and right now I’m teaching in our summer program. Juneteenth has been our focus this week. We’ll be having strawberries to celebrate today! The kids are excited! ❤️💛💚🇺🇸
If the DOD cancels "cultural celebrations" does that include St. Patrick's Day, Mardi gras, Cinco de Mayo, Passover, Easter, etc., etc.?
Columbus Day, too. That one was pushed throughout the 1900s by the Italian-American community to celebrate their heritage & their impact on America. Ironically, today that huge wave of immigrants, once vilified and shunned, have been lumped into the “White & American” culture that maga seeks to promote.
Thank you for sharing this history. I’m sure even those of us who already knew the story of how the holiday came to be can gain some more understanding, and reflect on its current (racist) political context in our (racist) history. Your student TJ sounds like he was a generous teacher. ☺️
The title of the article is also worth focusing on. We all have these blind spots… areas where our experience just hasn’t taken us yet, or perspectives we’ve never been exposed to. The difference between a good person and someone who causes harm often comes down to what we do when those gaps are pointed out to us, or whether our curiosity allows us to seek out and confront the gaps even before they become an embarrassing gaffe. Recognizing that we don’t know everything isn’t a weakness; it’s actually what makes us human. But when we get defensive and deny those blind spots exist, we’re essentially saying that other people’s experiences and knowledge don’t matter, which diminishes their humanity. Which, one might argue, makes someone less of a good person.
I’ve found that approaching people with genuine interest and respect, even when I think I already understand their perspective, almost always teaches me something new. Maybe especially in those cases, because that’s when I’m most likely to have made assumptions. Sure, not every conversation will crack open some amazing new world for me to explore, but sometimes it does. Even if they are 100% wrong, it can be an exercise to figure out why your own opinion is more correct. Or even better: strengthen that opinion with knowledge of the counterargument.
And every single one of those interactions makes the space between us a little more respectful and kind. Respect and kindness is contagious. And honestly, that’s reason enough!
Happy Juneteenth y’all. Especially to those racists who refuse to celebrate. 🇺🇸
I wanted to do a little more research since I have the day off today (wasn't informed of this day off until yesterday afternoon!) and try to understand more about the few holdouts in Congress mentioned in Sharon's article. I found out that South Dakota was especially resistant to the holiday, and the details are pretty telling.
South Dakota was the last state to give Juneteenth any recognition at all, and even then only through a temporary governor's proclamation that then-Governor Kristi Noem signed on June 16, 2020, just three weeks after George Floyd's murder. The proclamation offered a one-day holiday that would need to be renewed annually. (As if the holiday differs in significance year by year…? Or were they openly admitting that this was just a meaningless token to absolve them of guilt…?)
When lawmakers had the chance in 2021 to make it a permanent state holiday, they refused. Twice. The resistance wasn't subtle either.
Republican Party Chair Dan Lederman told the Argus Leader that delegates had "concern over similarities in language between Independence Day on July 4 and the Juneteenth Independence Day from slavery." (So concerned!! What if people confused freedom for African Americans with freedom for REAL Americans????)
One Republican senator named Ryan Maher questioned during testimony about what Juneteenth had to do with South Dakota! Maher said the Battle of Slim Buttes and other episodes from South Dakota history haven’t yet been recognized. “I think we should address them before we go down this road,” Maher said.
And when Democratic State Senator Reynold Nesiba was pushing for the recognition, he relayed this story to describe what he was up against: "I had a legislator, who was then the speaker of the house, look at me during testimony and say, 'We don't want to dilute our population with a second culture.' So there is a white nationalist strand in South Dakota legislature that's simply opposed to this on principle."
The best they were willing to offer was making it a "working holiday" (the same status as “Peter Norbeck Day” and “Day of the American Cowboy”), a distinction that would've been a slap in the face.
Meanwhile, Noem spoke at CPAC 2021, calling "the 1619 Project, critical race theory" nothing but "hate, division, and it's not American." So…she could proclaim a holiday commemorating the end of slavery when the political pressure was on in 2020, but actively fought against teaching about the ongoing effects of that same history when it didn’t suit her politics.
South Dakota only ended up with permanent recognition because federal law forced their hand when Biden made it a national holiday.
Going back to what I was previously saying about respecting those who believe differently, I do believe that. BUT… as Maya Angelou said "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time," and this is exactly what she meant. I'm all for approaching people with curiosity and respect, but that doesn't mean we can't call out racism when we see it. There's a difference between not knowing something and actively resisting learning about it for years while making statements about not wanting to "dilute" the population.
But then again, calling out that pattern doesn't mean writing people off forever. It means being honest about what happened while still leaving room for genuine growth and change. People and governments can do better when they're ready to, but pretending the resistance never happened doesn't help anyone learn from it.
Thank you for your researched and articulate comments! I learned a lot from you. ☺️
“First things first: Juneteenth is not ‘fake’ or ‘woke.’ It’s not what is meant by the pejorative version of ‘DEI.’ It’s a real holiday that comes from a rich tradition.”
Thank you for saying this, Sharon. I still have a lot to learn about this holiday and the associated events that led up to it, but I will never understand the anger and disrespect so many people have toward the celebration and awareness of this holiday.
Thank you for being a great educator and for your sharing your story about Juneteenth. It really opened my eyes. My son, who took AP History class in high school, also had never learned about Juneteenth until he researched it on his own and he felt disappointed that something so important was not part of his education. I am truly grateful that Juneteenth is now a federal holiday. It is long overdue, and I appreciate voices like yours who continue to educate and inspire others. Thank you Sharon!
Am I understanding this correctly? They were free for over two years but did not know it?
Yes, Texas didn’t want them to know because they fought the War to keep enslaving people to keep that enormous wealth their unpaid work provided. It wasn’t until the military showed up to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, and after the Confederate General Kirby surrendered the last army and fled to Mexico, that the enslaved learned that they were free (kinda, they were now “employees” but it was something better than chattel slavery.) If you Google Heather Cox Richardson you’ll find she has put out a short, more informative, video and Substack about Juneteenth.
Really puts into perspective our ability to get news and find out information in today's world.
I was fortunate to be raised in a Texas school district and community that valued and celebrated Juneteenth. Many of my fellow Texans were not due to the whitewashing and romanticizing of Confederate and Texas history. On Juneteenth is a must read. I'll have to get Dr. Tisby's book also.
I'm with Sharon; I had never heard of it. I've still had to Google it every year to remember the significance.
This year feels different though. This time, I don't think I'll forget. Seeing and hearing about all the oppression and discrimination, I want to remember about it. I want to support it. I want to support those who are under attack. Me remembering about Juneteenth isn't really significant, but maybe it can be part of the things I do that can add up to significance.
I have lived in Houston Texas, literally next door to Galveston, most of my 64 year life. I didn't know about Juneteenth most of my life, and when I did learn of it, I didn't know the whole story until after my 40s! It's embarrassing...
It is so good to be informed. How did we not know about this important date in history for so long?
The cliche is ‘history is written by the victors’ but it’s probably more like the history we choose to elevate is chosen carefully. People don’t like to deal with uncomfortable realities or be uncomfortable themself. History is messy and imperfect, because people are.
I heard about Juneteenth when I worked for a children's home in Texas. One of the AA teen girls who lived in one of the cottages I worked in 2001 told me about it. They celebrate in a local park in the neighborhood near the campus. I was in my 20s and I didn't comprehend the importance of it at the time. Didn't give it another thought until they decided to make it a national holiday 20 years later.
I also work for a company that commemorates this day and gives the employees the day off. I am grateful for their recognition because I’ve learned more about my country’s history (the good, the bad and the ugly). Thanks Sharon and your team for being in the “good” aisle of our great nation’s treasures.
Interesting! I never heard about June 19th until 2021.