How We Juneteenth

[SummerMadness]

How We Juneteenth

Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York signed an executive order on Wednesday making Juneteenth a holiday for state employees; the same goes for tech companies like Twitter, and even where I work, at The New York Times. This year, Juneteenth, a holiday that celebrates the arrival of the news of emancipation from slavery, seems to be a bigger deal across the nation.

But there's a conversation I've been having with my friends: Is celebrating this holiday enough to begin to fix all that's so very broken? And, one tick further, is the national embrace of what has been known as the African-American Independence Day a dangerous idea? Some people wonder — if we sip on our traditional red drinks as we socially distance on screens and porches — will we be lulled into feeling more free than we really are?

 

[Broken Fence]

Race problems will not be fixed by emancipation day. This goes deeper than what you might think. Racism on all sides exist, until people can see others as real persons they will continue to sow discord.

 

[SummerMadness]

Race problems will not be fixed by emancipation day. This goes deeper than what you might think. Racism on all sides exist, until people can see others as real persons they will continue to sow discord.

Juneteenth has been celebrated for many years, I don't think many claim celebrating the day will fix racial oppression of African Americans. This year is perhaps more poignant given the increased anti-racist to reform this country.

 

[Broken Fence]

Juneteenth has been celebrated for many years, I don't think many claim celebrating the day will fix racial oppression of African Americans. This year is perhaps more poignant given the increased anti-racist to reform this country.

So telling white America they must bow down to black America in order to not be racist, is not racist?

 

[SummerMadness]

So telling white America they must bow down to black America in order to not be racist, is not racist?

So when did you stop beating your wife?

 

[Arc F1]

How We Juneteenth

I have to point out that it's not an African American holiday. I've met plenty of white African Americans. That term gets misused way too much. Let's start right there and call people what they are. Americans. We are all one in the same. You can't be equal but separate.

 

[Tone]

It would be great if all the slaves realized they were such...and humbled themselves before Yah, that their shackles be broken off.

 

[SummerMadness]

I have to point out that it's not an African American holiday. I've met plenty of white African Americans. That term gets misused way too much. Let's start right there and call people what they are. Americans. We are all one in the same. You can't be equal but separate.

Who stated that it's an African American holiday? It's not stated in the article or this thread. Moreover, African American refers to people of African descent born in the United States, the term is not misused except by people attempting to dismiss the term. Why do they take such issue with the term? More of that energy should be directed at people that "could care less" or those who hate "loosing" a misplaced item.

 

[durangodawood]

I have to point out that it's not an African American holiday. I've met plenty of white African Americans. That term gets misused way too much. Let's start right there and call people what they are. Americans. We are all one in the same. You can't be equal but separate.

Thats a nice aspirational goal, as long as its not just meant to paper over current racism and the enduring effects of historical racism.

Actually...maybe its not such a great goal.

I can see value in recognizing one's ethnicity of origin. In fact I would prefer that not get "melted" down to some bland consumerist "American" nothing.

 

[Arc F1]

Who stated that it's an African American holiday? It's not stated in the article or this thread. Moreover, African American refers to people of African descent born in the United States, the term is not misused except by people attempting to dismiss the term. Why do they take such issue with the term? More of that energy should be directed at people that "could care less" or those who hate "loosing" a misplaced item.

"African-American Independence Day"
We are all Americans regardless of color. We should be advocating for equality not separation based on color. We can't move past anything until people actually move past it.

 

[Tone]

"African-American Independence Day"
We are all Americans regardless of color. We should be advocating for equality not separation based on color. We can't move past anything until people actually move past it.

By this logic we should get rid of all national holidays...I'm all for that. We should turn back to His Holy Days anyways.

 

[SummerMadness]

"African-American Independence Day"
We are all Americans regardless of color. We should be advocating for equality not separation based on color. We can't move past anything until people actually move past it.

It's the day that all African Americans were free in the US. It's no different than Mother's Day, celebrating that day does not negate the contribution of fathers. The day itself is important because on July 4, 1776, not all Americans were free, this day represents that day when all Americans were finally seen as free.

 

[Arc F1]

By this logic we should get rid of all national holidays...I'm all for that. We should turn back to His Holy Days anyways.

Amen.

 

[Tone]

It's the day that all African Americans were free in the US. It's no different than Mother's Day, celebrating that day does not negate the contribution of fathers. The day itself is important because on July 4, 1776, not all Americans were free, this day represents that day when all Americans were finally seen as free.

No, he's right, I say we scrap em all.

 

[durangodawood]

How could any American look at our founding ideals - as expressed on paper anyway - and think emancipation was victory only for the slaves, or only worthy of celebration for black people?

A celebration of emancipation is only divisive in that it divides those who respect America's founding ideals from those who do not.

 

[SummerMadness]

No, he's right, I say we scrap em all.

Okay, then you don't need to participate in this thread, this thread is not about whether holidays should be celebrated. Take this energy and direct it to telling people to stop celebrating July 4th in the US, you can make your complaints two weeks from now.

 

[Tone]

this thread is not about whether holidays should be celebrated

Sure sounded like it in the OP.


*To answer, yes, it could be a dangerous idea to nationally embrace said day.

 

[SummerMadness]

Sure sounded like it in the OP.

*To answer, yes, it could be a dangerous idea to nationally embrace said day.

The description of the holiday does not suggest any sort of exclusion, it describes what the day stands for, it was the day that freedom of African Americans in the United States was finally recognized (although it took another century for the country to fully recognize this).

 

[GoldenBoy89]

I don’t get how Juneteenth is a racial holiday of any kind. I would have thought emancipation and the abolition of slavery would be something all decent Americans would care to celebrate. It should absolutely be a national holiday as black history is American history.

Funny how so many that have outraged over a couple statues being brought down seem to not have a problem with glossing over this part of our nation’s history.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Sure sounded like it in the OP.


*To answer, yes, it could be a dangerous idea to nationally embrace said day.

Dangerous for who? Why would celebrating the end of slavery be dangerous?