Happy Juneteenth?: The need for critical engagement (not just celebration) of Juneteenth
By: Leslie Wingo and Alexis L. Rossi, PhD, MEd, MA
Smoke, rubs, time, cooking style are as varied as the regions of the state of Texas. No matter what is on the grill, the traditions and our histories of the past are the bridges connecting our legacy to the present. Regardless of where you are coming from, or where you are going, there is always something to learn at the dinner table with family, friends, and friends who are family.
As we gather around the table, we will honor our history with food and love. Today we celebrate Juneteenth. The descendents of enslaved people survived through creativity, reinvention, sacrifice, and hope for a better life for their children. The legacy of Juneteenth is rooted in our history, race, ancestry, and hope for the future. Today, we celebrate not only the end of slavery but we also take a moment in time to acknowledge our legacy.
There is a great deal to be celebrated, a wealth of perspective, knowledge, and truth that are often erased from the national narrative, especially because Juneteenth became a federally recognized holiday only two years ago. As a nation, it's impossible to know how to get where we need to be when we don't fully acknowledge where we came from. Sure, we can celebrate, but more than celebration, we need a deep reflection and acknowledgement of what Black people have brought, and continue to bring, to the national culture through food, music, culture, and innovation. All of which has built our nation and should be properly, deeply recognized.
Some organizations and some people will use a “check the boxes'' approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, transforming Juneteenth into another typical American holiday - a day off that does not incorporate the deeper need for reflection, learning, and commitment to action. We will likely see corporate sponsors of events, gamedays starting with Lift Every Voice and Sing (often referred to as the Black National Anthem), moments of silence, company sponsored training or days of service, even Juneteenth picnics and recipe sharing. This is what many are comfortable with. This is how Memorial Day, Labor Day, Dr. Martin Luther King Day, and most of the heritage months have manifested over the years. This is how many will try to show they are paying attention and taking action since the murder of George Floyd. While the intention is admirable, instead we need to take this opportunity to go beyond performative actions to something that’s more beautifully human.
Our humanity requires us to go beyond checking boxes, own up to the cyclical failures of our histories. Is it going to be tough, uncomfortable, and difficult? Absolutely. However, if we don’t have these uncomfortable conversations, and feel those feelings, we will never experience the beautiful growth that will inspire us to work for change. Rather than taking a shortcut to a celebration of an “end” to something that has never really finished, we must acknowledge the work ahead by critically engaging with the history of slavery and the continued lack of both equality and equity in our country.
This deep stain on America should not be ignored, forgotten, or dismissed. A blind commitment to systems of the past will not allow us to address the deep rooted issues each of us experience in almost every aspect of our day. We must critically engage with the history of Juneteenth. We must commit to doing more than turning this critical moment in American history into just another holiday, sales event or stage for performative statements that do nothing more than make those who said them feel better because another box was checked.
Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black Independence Day, is a national holiday, and we must recognize the sacrifice of these souls who gave their lives to build our nation. We stand on the shoulders of people who represent the very best of America, and what it means to truly survive. While Emancipation was a gradual process the slaves in south Texas were freed two and a half years later than those in the rest of the country. It is our responsibility to ensure their stories, no matter how difficult they are to hear, are told and shared for generations to come.
Today, as we gather around our tables, take a moment to love one another, reflect on our history, and recognize we must stand firmly on a legacy built from slavery. Acknowledge why our tables are covered in red. Red drinks, red beans and rice, red bbq sauces, red velvet cakes. Hot sauce, tomato salad, strawberry slab pie. Red is the color of resilience. It is also the color of pain. We take these truths and traditions of the past and now use them as a bridge to the present and future. Regardless of where you are from, there is always something to be learned from the plates and stories of our chosen and given families.