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Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas
finally learned they were free. This came two and a half years after the Emancipation
Proclamation was signed. Think about that. Freedom was declared, but it wasn’t
delivered. It had to be walked, ridden, and fought into existence. That delayed freedom
is a symbol that in a lot of ways still represents the seemingly trickle down, incremental
progress the United States has made since men and women were considered 3/5 of a
human being.
Yet, here we are. Every year on June 19th, the United States, recognizes Juneteenth as
a national holiday. Signed into law in 2021 by former president Joe Biden, Juneteenth is
for some, a fairly new holiday. For others, it’s a long-standing tradition rooted deep in
family, faith, and freedom. No matter where you fall on that spectrum, Juneteenth is
more than a date.
The beauty of this holiday is that Black people didn’t wait around for the country to
figure it out and declare Juneteenth a date to remember. We made community. With
their newfound freedom, we built schools, churches, and businesses. Out of that came
culture, music, recipes, and traditions that still live on today. Juneteenth the spirit of our
humanity regardless of legal recognition. We were always human beings, event as
temporary captives. Juneteenth is about honoring the resilience and joy that came out
of struggle.
The celebration of Juneteenth is also more than a day to celebrate. There are still forms
of bondage today that aren’t as visible as chains, but are just as real. Economic
injustice. Unequal education. Disparities in healthcare. Mass incarceration being one of
the biggest forms of it. Slavery technically still exists under the 13th amendment which
states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime
whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or
any place subject to their jurisdiction.” The “except as a punishment for crime…” allows
for the enslavement of criminals. Just last election, California had the opportunity to
pass Proposition 6, which would have abolished indentured servitude in state prisons,
but for reasons we can only speculate, California, chose to keep the remnants of
slavery alive and well, reminding us, that we still have a long way to go.
Juneteenth gives us space to reflect on those truths and recommit to doing something
about them. It’s not just a time to visit a festival or wear colors to represent. It’s also a
time to listen, learn, and act. It’s about telling our own stories and making sure future
generations understand the full picture, not just the version that fits in a textbook or
social media post.
Right here in Inglewood and in communities like ours across the country, we still need to
be seen and heard. So this Juneteenth, let us remember the words of Fannie Lou
Hamer, who in her speech delivered at the founding of the National Women’s Political
Caucus, Washington, D.C., July 10, 1971 said, “Nobody is free until everybody is free.”
