Juneteenth National Independence Day

Happy Juneteenth, everybody!! I’ve seen some folks complaining online that “Juneteenth is a made up holiday,” but let’s think about this…aren’t they all made up holidays? If we celebrate “our” liberty from the British monarchy on July 4th - Independence Day - shouldn’t we also celebrate the day when FINALLY everyone covered under the Emancipation Proclamation was  liberated? I’ll be honest, the name Juneteenth National Independence Day sounds a little odd to my midwestern ears.

But I love liberty.

This is not just an African-American celebration - we should ALL be celebrating!

What folks may not realize is that this emancipation only applied at the time to enslaved peoples in the Confederate States that had seceded from the Union. Other enslaved people in four additional states that had not seceded were not free until the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which abolished the institution of slavery about six months later in December of 1865.

Our past as a nation and as a people is complicated. It is rife with injustice, tragedy, and sorrow, but there are also so many instances of heroism, unity, and innovation. It’s important to celebrate and remember the instances where we changed course for the better as a nation. I hope you’ll celebrate today with me and continue to strive for unity and our betterment as a society and as a people.