Won’t it be wonderful when Black history and Native American history and Jewish history and all of U.S. history is taught from one book. Just U.S. history.
— Maya Angelou
I was in my third year at university when I learned about the significance of June 19th — and I learned about through a summer job on campus, not the classroom. More than 15 years of schooling and not once had it been mentioned that slavery didn’t just stop with the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteenth marks the day Texas, the last-standing Confederate state, learned about President Lincoln’s proclamation in 1865 — more than two years after it went into effect. It is recognized as a state holiday in 46 states and District of Columbia; a resolution was passed in 2018 by the Senate to have it recognized as a national holiday, which is still pending approval in the House of Representatives.
Black citizens and other allies have celebrated the day with parties, picnics and other gatherings (much like the Fourth of July) informally since 1865. Celebrations are meant to appreciate, celebrate, and educate about Black history and culture. Above all, it is a joyful holiday.
I truly believe that we as citizens are more alike than different. When we celebrate those subtle differences, rather than dividing ourselves based on expectations, we see how they make the whole more beautiful than before. It’s like looking out across a flowering garden; it is in the color, depth, and variation where beauty is found. As a country, we are at our best when we can see the best in one another.
Today is a day to remember that; it’s a celebration of where we are and a challenge for where we can go next.
Onward.
