Happy Juneteenth!

Submitted by Hanlon's Razor on June 19th, 2023 at 9:49 AM

Freedom for all! 

"On June 19, 1865, about two months after the Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, Va., Gordon Granger, a Union general, arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved African Americans of their freedom and that the Civil War had ended. General Granger’s announcement put into effect the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued nearly two and a half years earlier, on Jan. 1, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln.

The holiday is also called “Juneteenth Independence Day,” “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day.”"

May this holiday lead to further healing for our young nation as we recognize our past in all it's complexity and continue our growth towards being a more perfect union- without judgement, and with freedom for all. 

[edit: this thread has been edited and 🔒 locked.  See the Moderator Sticky thread for details. -rob f]

Other

DennisFranklinDaMan

June 19th, 2023 at 10:03 AM ^

I recognize the appropriateness and validity of the holiday, absolutely. I only worry that the more it is celebrated by white people (like me), the more they (we) will inevitably co-opt it and corrupt it.

So, yes, "Happy Juneteenth," I guess, but let's not make it a traditional holiday -- an occasion to sell more mattresses.

It signifies more than that, and it matters more than that.

(Not meaning to virtue signal by posting -- just expressing a little reservation about the recent adoption of the holiday by much of white America).

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unWavering

June 19th, 2023 at 11:04 AM ^

Expressing a thought such as "I hope that white people don't ruin the holiday" when there's no real indication of that happening and it's not a real issue is definitely virtue signaling.

Juneteenth should be celebrated by everyone. Commercialization of holidays is hardly a thing exclusively practiced by white people anyway

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BroadneckBlue21

June 19th, 2023 at 12:35 PM ^

Guess you didn’t read stories of non-black American owned companies selling Juneteenth focused and labeled products, like the flag, because they know they’ll profit from it. 

Call that “smart business move,” but it is also white-owned companies exploiting a holiday for profit and doing very little to nothing to donate money or create programs to help reduce social inequities. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I know if you did not read or see it, and even if you did, “it didn’t happen” and ostrich buried head in sand, etc. etc. 

I don’t know a single person on here in real life, outside of screen names. And I don’t get caught up trying to figure out or even remember race or class or marital status or anything personal. You can call what he did virtue signaling, but who is he signaling that virtue to? 

Lastly, folks who like to tell others they are just virtue signaling really don’t hold much weight with me or plenty of others. If one’s first response to some other person is to start there, clearly one has issues with the subject matter at hand. If one agrees with the position of, say, not exploiting a race, one wouldn’t need to call out others because…why bother?

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OSUMC Wolverine

June 19th, 2023 at 2:31 PM ^

I dont think there should be any national holidays that all US citizens cannot or should not recognize/celebrate. Even if the event that led to recognition of the holiday does not directly apply to all of us, we all should celebrate the fact that we can recognize holidays and have gatherings largely absent government persecution or interference. Celebrating freedom is always a good thing.

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SalvatoreQuattro

June 19th, 2023 at 10:58 AM ^

Americans are fine with appropriating November 11th to honor veterans when the day should be reserved solely for the commemoration of the one of worst man-made calamities to befall Mankind.

Juneteenth won’t be any different.

Most Americans won’t use the holiday to commemorate the end of slavery or race in America anymore than they think about dead soldiers on Memorial Day or the US’s independence on the Fourth of July.

What you wish for is faint hope I am afraid.

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L'Carpetron Do…

June 19th, 2023 at 12:42 PM ^

We should also make sure that these are legit holidays and people are given off for them. Eventhough they are official federal holidays many people still have to work, even on, what I consider to be important ones. My girlfriend works for the state government but is not off today and the office doesn't close for MLK Day or even Veterans Day. 

(I'm with you - Veterans Day is too often overlooked and under-celebrated while people also do not seem to comprehend the deep importance of Memorial Day. I propose switching them; Memorial Day is supposed to be more somber and serious and maybe people will treat it that way if it's in November instead of signaling the 'unofficial start of summer'.)

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lmgoblue1

June 19th, 2023 at 12:57 PM ^

I am a veteran and no company has ever once given me that day off.  So every year I use my birthday PTO or regular PTO and reflect on my brothers. Memorial Day is a completely different thing for me, having lost comrades and even my neighbor kid who used to mow my lawn. For me that is never about the unofficial start of summer. It's all I can do to keep myself together when the blow-out sales start or talk of burgers and brats. Freedom was never free. And never will be. Anyway, Happy Juneteenth.

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L'Carpetron Do…

June 19th, 2023 at 1:18 PM ^

Good for you, sorry that people really don't get it. I'm not a veteran but I obviously have a lot of respect and admiration for you guys (my grandfathers fought in WWII, a couple of uncles were in the military and I have good friends from UofM who became very distinguished naval officers). 

But, isn't it weird how much we supposedly revere veterans in this country but when we have a holiday to honor them that's already on the books, companies are like 'nah, no thanks'?  

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OSUMC Wolverine

June 19th, 2023 at 2:52 PM ^

Independence Day, Veterans Day, and Memorial Day are the big ones in my mind.....the persons that these days recognize and the causes they sacrificed for make all other holiday celebrations possible in this country. Celebrating Juneteenth is powerful, recognizing the first step taken toward healing from a dark chapter in American history. Many have given their lives for freedom and many others lived and died never having tasted freedom....sobering indeed.

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Clarence Boddicker

June 19th, 2023 at 12:47 PM ^

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Unfortunately it wasn't close to being the war that ended all wars. Europe followed that up with something even more fucking horrifying less than two decades later. I'm with you in regretting the loss of the true meaning of Memorial Day in the repackaging of it to Veteran's Day II.

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Lakeyale13

June 19th, 2023 at 10:58 AM ^

I am a white male in his 40’s. How could it be inappropriate in any way to celebrate Juneteenth every year!?  
 

It is a fabulous holiday and one that allows me to really think.  If I were black, I would have a big problem celebrating “Independence Day” on July 4th.  Juneteenth is a Holiday EVERY American can get behind and that EVERY America. Should celebrate without reservation or apology. 

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The Oracle 2

June 19th, 2023 at 2:54 PM ^

That you somehow believe the 4th of July isn’t a holiday “EVERY American can get behind and that EVERY American should celebrate without reservation or apology” sums up why we are where we are today. But congratulations on a great virtue signal. I’ll mark you down as one of the good white people.

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4th phase

June 19th, 2023 at 3:00 PM ^

You don’t think it’s a little weird to call something Independence Day when it’s marking an event that kept slavery as an institution for another 100 years?

 

edit: Nice downvotes, I guess you're the type who can't look at any nuance and prefer to bury your head in the sand. It's okay to admit that America wasn't a perfect utopia in July 1776 and that if you're going to write something called the Declaration of Independence and start it off with a sentence that reads "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal." that it is pretty hypocritical to go "no, wait by all men we actually only mean white, land owning males, and also it's cool if you want to continue to keep black people as property, we seriously don't think all men are equal. It's just us. The good white men. Back to the fields with you." 
It is not anti-american to recognize how fucked up that sentiment is. In fact, we should acknowledge it so that we can be better in the future. The fact you can't see that shows how small minded you are.

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4th phase

June 19th, 2023 at 3:49 PM ^

Way to respond with an irrelevant point. You can simultaneously celebrate America and also recognize its flaws. It is possible to hold a nuanced view, with many facets. You may be incapable of any sort of reflection on the past other than "America good", but that just says more about you. That you reflexively jump in with such a narrow minded and simplistic stance that only a 4th grader would hold. 

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LeCheezus

June 19th, 2023 at 4:55 PM ^

Don't you think it's a bit of a stretch to harp on nuance, then ignore general context and examine the actions of people through a lens created 250 years later?  I'll admit American wasn't a perfect utopia in July 1776, but let's not pretend the authors and signers of the Declaration of Independence were outliers in their views on race and slavery.  It doesn't make it right, and I certainly wouldn't try to erase it from history.  I do think the constant effort to hand out new grades on historical figures based on today's standards ends up putting way too much focus on their shortcomings than their strengths and achievements.

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pescadero

June 20th, 2023 at 8:19 AM ^

"but let's not pretend the authors and signers of the Declaration of Independence were outliers in their views on race and slavery."
 

...but lets not pretend the authors and signers of the Declaration of Independence agreed in their views on race and slavery.

They weren't a monolith - particularly on slavery. Some of the authors/signers were staunch abolitionists who thought slavery was evil and shouldn't be countenanced, others were slaveholders who though blacks weren't even human... and everything in between.

Some of the authors/signers were outliers (in both directions), and some were mainstream.

 

 

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goblu330

June 20th, 2023 at 10:48 AM ^

To sum things up in this thread within a thread, Juneteenth is fine to celebrate or not, just as July 4th is fine to celebrate or not.  I have nothing to "celebrate" on Juneteenth because it has nothing to do with me and it isn't attached to any annual festivities in my family or community.  By contrast, the 4th of July is traditionally celebrated with fireworks and all kinds of community activities that I will happily take part in.  To each their own!  That always works.

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The Mayor

June 19th, 2023 at 3:11 PM ^

Sorry you feel that way. I don’t see it as virtue signaling more than reflecting on the celebration of something that only represented a certain segment of our country. Probably should’ve kept out the white man part, maybe that’s what bothered you? Either way I celebrate the day with my brothers and sisters.

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OSUMC Wolverine

June 19th, 2023 at 3:00 PM ^

Independence Day is celebrating one nation's escape from another nation's rule. I dont think it is supposed to represent individual independence but rather the beginning of our nation's journey to make all free. Clearly it wasnt the end of suppression and persecution as it was followed by a bloody civil war and world wars...modern society clearly has a long way to go. The Revolutionary War was merely a step.

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Sambojangles

June 19th, 2023 at 11:01 AM ^

I agree and have similar reservations. On the one hand, it feel disrespectful to turn the holiday into another summer backyard BBQ event, like Memorial Day, and basically forget about the true reason for the celebration. On the other hand, it seems like most people in my circle are ignoring it: summer kids programs are starting, people are going to work (from home if it's an official day off), and there is little acknowledgement of the holiday at all. So it seems like the patterns and traditions around Juneteenth are still being worked out, among the non-Black people I see at least. All this is simply observation from my little part of the world, and not a judgement of the people here nor anywhere else.

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big10football

June 19th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^

Important piece of context from the article you linked: 

"Rueben Hays, the CEO of Juneteenth GVL Inc., remarked that the intention of the banner was to promote unity for the event and that there were nine other designs which included Black, Asian and Hispanic residents. The idea, he also said, came from his all-Black board with no pressure from the city to diversify the promotion." 

 

I do not think that fits as an example of white people co-opting the holiday. 

 

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