The Naked Truth/Jamala Rogers
Keeping Juneteenth on the Righteous Path
President Joe Biden signed Juneteenth into law as a federal holiday in 2021. Some Black folks were naturally a bit wary. We’ve seen what America has done to other holidays that emerged out of our Black experience, our culture and our history. We’ve seen what commercial capitalism has done to other people’s holidays. Most people think Cinco de Mayo is a time to drink beer while wearing a sombrero.
The rapid proliferation of Juneteenth celebrations is a legitimate cause for concern. I’m overjoyed that my people are embracing the holiday — and with such enthusiasm. We have to be mindful of consumer capitalism and how it monetizes any and everything that can be profitable — just as the economic system did with our Black bodies. Unless we’re overprotective of this holiday, Black people will see the encroaching commercialism reduce the meaning of this powerful day. We don’t need a Juneteenth sale to get 20 percent off a pair of $500 Gucci sunglasses so that we can look cool at a celebration.
Black people and their allies must never let the celebration get separated from the ‘why” of the holiday. However we choose to celebrate Juneteenth, it should always lift up the time in this country’s history when Black men, women and children were chattel slavery and endured the most savage form of captivity ever recorded in the U.S. Their valiant and courageous struggle for freedom and humanity must be at the core of those celebrations. Doing so doesn’t ignore the enduring trauma of this historical period, but puts the heroism and perseverance into proper context. This is an opportunity to project the institution of slavery accurately in a mainstream way and connect it directly with the demand for reparations.
Juneteenth, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day — whatever we chose to call it on any given day — must be connected to our struggle for Black Liberation. No different from our other Black holidays, MLK Day, African Liberation Day (ALD), Kwanzaa week, it is a time of reflection about our progress as a people. This is even more important as white extremists are attempting to erase our histories, dislocating us from our neighborhoods and disproportionately poisoning the water, air and soil where we live.
It must be a time to educate the masses of our people about the simple, yet important things they can do to advance political power, economic justice and cultural dignity. Acts like joining an organization working for liberation, like volunteering a couple of hours at a youth center, like giving a helping hand to a formerly incarcerated person, like signing someone up to vote, like writing a letter to encourage your elected officials to do right by Black people, like participating in a protest to stop or advance an issue impacting us.
One worthy observation I’ve made and am still soliciting reports from all over the country is the absence of any violence at Juneteenth events. What can we learn about how to create a safe and affirming space for people of African descent? Plenty!
Black people should understand we must fight like hell to preserve the sanctity of the day by knowing the history and making sure others respect the history. This is critical to addressing the persistent racial inequities that inform and shape the mentality of all those living in this country.