Opinion: Juneteenth Is A Federal Holiday, But This Is Not Enough
By: Cory Utsey
On June 19, 1865, the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas finally received news of the Emancipation Proclamation and were made free from chattel slavery. This day, known as Juneteenth, is now a federal holiday in the United States as of June 15. For many African-Americans, this day has always been one worth celebrating, often being referred to as the “real” Independence Day.
But now what?
One can of course appreciate the grandiose nature of commemoration by way of a national holiday, especially during a time in which Black history is seen as something that is separate from American History. But this holiday comes over 150 years late, and the demands that Black people have in regards to justice cannot be satisfied by governmental recognition on a single day.
I will in no way try to speak for all Black people, but I know that for someone like me, change must be something that extends past Black Lives Matter murals and the closure of federal buildings on Juneteenth.
The problem with a lot of the so-called change and activism to take place over the last couple of years-- and especially since the summer of 2020- is that it is performative. When justice is performative, its ingenuine nature does absolutely nothing for advancing the lives of marginalized groups; in this particular case, it does nothing to declare holidays and say that Black Lives Matter when the actions behind these gestures are lacking.
I draw little inspiration from the prospect of Juneteenth being recognized as a federal holiday when Black people are still being lynched by the police and disproportionately thrown in jail. Watching lawmakers sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” stirs little hope in my spirit when the voting rights of Black people are still suppressed.
The fact that this all comes at a time in which some states are trying to ban the teaching of critical race theory makes this whole spectacle even less amicable. Not only have most schools kept their coverage of race very vague, but I am curious of the answer to the following question: How will teachers explain what Juneteenth is to their students if they are not allowed to talk about race?
I will never try to minimize the successes that have been made since June 19, 1865, but I cannot act as though these accomplishments are anything more than the bare minimum.
Juneteenth might mark a good start, but it cannot be the extent to which the livelihood of Black people is valued. Black people, and all of their intersecting identities, deserve to exist without fear of racism or execution.
As stated previously, Black enslaved people were made free from chattel slavery on June 19, 1865, but we have yet to be released from the shackles of white supremacy.
Juneteenth being recognized as a federal holiday has its benefits with regard to visibility, but it is far from enough.
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