I could remember celebrating Juneteenth as a kid and attending the African World Festival in Milwaukee each year until I was a teen. Over my adolescent years, the significance of the celebration wained, unfortunately. But now more than ever, it’s time to resurge the holiday. Going forward, I choose to celebrate Juneteenth Independence Day over July 4th because it is more appropriate for my family and ancestry. If you are Black, I encourage you to do so too!

On June 19, 1865, enslaved African-Americans were first read the Emancipation Proclamation by Major General Gordon Granger in Galveston, Texas, declaring them as free citizens. Juneteenth is a symbol of the day for African American independence in the United States. Granted, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863. It took more than two and a half years for Blacks in Texas to first hear of this. There are many controversies about why this was delayed. To get more cotton yield from uninformed slaves? Visit here for a deeper history of Juneteenth.

Juneteenth Celebrate Freedom

Traditionally, the Juneteenth celebration is a time for delicious food, prayer, gathering, and reassurance for Black people. It’s also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Cel-Liberation Day. In 2023, Juneteenth falls on Monday, June 19.

Awareness of recent murders of innocent Black people is prompting some companies to honor this holiday as a paid holiday for employees. Many brands are making public statements to rid this ugly systemic behavior, and some are following their words with actions.

“There was a physical battle in which White people had to take up arms against other White people to get them to treat Black people with any level of dignity and respect. That’s actually what it took. We didn’t get anything in akin to freedom in this country until White people were willing to be violent.”
—Brittney Cooper

As an African American citizen in the U.S., this holiday has more meaning to my life than the July 4th holiday. The red, white, and blue day is a symbol of White independence from monetary taxation. Whereas, Juneteenth is a symbol of our people’s first real glimpse of freedom. The Emancipation Proclamation also stated that enslaved people were by law considered employees should they choose to stay and work for plantation owners. This would have created an opportunity to earn wages. However, and rightly so, our people migrated North immediately.

With the Black Lives Matter momentum flourishing, supporting this holiday is one of many vital steps toward racial equality. In essence, it represents that a Black person is just as free and equal as a White person- or a person of any race.

What celebrating Juneteenth means to me is a rejoice and revolt against systemic racism. Even after slavery, Black people persisted against Jim Crow laws, discrimination in housing and lending, mass incarceration, and police brutality. Let’s keep our foot on the gas and declare our true independence…

If you will celebrate this holiday, tell us in the comments below!