|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Veronica Mackey
When President Joe Biden officially recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, corporations got the green light to market as many Juneteenth-themed products as they wanted.
But Black consumers said, not so fast! The holiday, which celebrates freedom from slavery for Black people in the U.S., is more about history, culture and education than a trip to your local Walmart. Tee-shirts and greeting cards are not needed.
While Juneteenth is certainly worthy of its place in history, and its significance should be shared with those of all races and nationalities, becoming a “mainstream” holiday means taking away some of its specialness, its sacredness.
What we don’t need is another holiday to throw into the overcrowded ring of over commercialized observances like President’s Day, Independence Day, Veteran’s Day and of course major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Here in the U.S., holidays—regardless of the magnitude—are treated as opportunities for Corporate America to do business as usual. Slap the right colors on a book, mug, food and any popular item and call it a day.
However, the old formula is not working. Large corporations are having to walk back their big promotions and Juneteenth-themed merchandise, thanks to backlash from woke folks on social media.
Two years ago, Walmart was forced to remove its store-brand ice cream amid mass criticism. The retail giant issued an apology noting negative feedback from African-American customers
Some things just should not be marketed, and money made off the suffering of Black Americans is definitely one of them. The price paid for the end of slavery in this country should never be trivialized by cheap trinkets.
In recent years, emphasis has been placed on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a day of service to commemorate King’s tireless efforts toward socioeconomic equality. Similarly, Juneteenth is valued as a day set aside to celebrate and reflect on the ultimate sacrifices made to win freedom for today’s generation.
Juneteenth is nicknamed for June 19th, the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans returned in Galveston, Texas to learn that slavery had been officially outlawed by President Abraham Lincoln.
Matthew Delmont, a historian at Dartmouth College, told Yahoo Finance, “It is hard not to worry that Juneteenth will be watered down or distorted now that it is a federal holiday.”
Kevin Cokley, chair of the educational psychology department at the University of Texas, said, “The true meaning of Juneteenth can easily be lost through consumerism and widespread consumption.”
Indeed. The apparent lack of respect for the meaning behind Juneteeth can be seen in the plethora of merchandise used to promote it. Walmart created a black tank-top with the phrase: “Because my ancestors weren’t free in 1976”. . .It was an apparent mistaken reference to the year America won independence in 1776.
Another example of dismissiveness was found by merchandise sold by Dollar Tree with red, yellow and green colors, instead of the official colors of the Juneteenth flag: red, white and blue.
“Having this date on the national calendar every year offers an opportunity to talk honestly about our nation’s history and to come together in community to celebrate the generations of Black Americans who have fought for freedom and equality.” Delmont said.
