Juneteenth commemorates the day on June 19, 1865 when a Union general read orders in Galveston, Texas stating all enslaved people in the state were free according to federal law. Juneteenth was designated a federal holiday in 2021. (Photo by Nathan Howard / Getty Images)
When asked what Juneteenth means to me – I found myself a bit surprised that I did not have a clear-cut, concise answer readily available.
It required focused reflection on the journeys of many, from my ancestors, to my loved ones and even myself. It also pushed me to think deeply about the true meaning of freedom. Additionally, it forced me to contemplate the fight for freedom that many groups continue to face right this very moment.
On June 19, 1865, Army troops went to Galveston, Texas to free the last enslaved Black people in the United States. It was a group of about 250,000 slaves who did not reap the immediate benefits of the Emancipation Proclamation a couple years prior simply because they did not know.
On the surface, it sounds completely celebratory, like “good news,” especially to someone like myself living 158 years later.
While Juneteenth is closely associated with freedom, I believe it is our responsibility to remember the lack thereof. It is a chance to acknowledge the atrocities of our nation’s past and to honor the lives of those enslaved people who may not have lived long enough to taste or see freedom but only dreamt of it. It is also an opportunity to remember the tortuous reality enslaved African Americans endured.
After pausing for a brief but brutally honest look back at history, I think that is where the celebratory aspects of Juneteenth come in, at least for me. The resilience of these enslaved persons is to be admired. In many ways, it is simply astonishing. It is often said, it is important to know ‘where’ you come from, but in this case, the focus shifts to ‘who’ you come from.
Knowing that my ancestral lineage includes slaves is a sad fact, but it is also a source of empowerment. In those moments when I am feeling ‘less than,’ it is almost like a whisper coming directly from their lips, reminding me: “Keep going.”
It is not like being set free was an instant fix. Sure, the specific institution of slavery was no more, but hardships and obstacles did not magically vanish. My great-grandfather on my mother’s side was a sharecropper in Tennessee. This was one of the few ways he could access land in the south and provide a place for his family to live, as many laws were in place barring Blacks from owning land in that part of the country. The other truth is many simply did not have the resources to own land or property.
Moving ahead a generation, my grandmother and her siblings must have heard the same whisper I mentioned earlier because they kept going. Seeking new opportunities, she moved from Tennessee to my hometown in Ohio. This period, known as the Great Migration, occurred between 1910 and 1970. During this time, many African Americans relocated from the South to other states to escape the shackles of racial violence, while seeking freedom from the Jim Crow laws, which legalized segregation.
Again, returning to the true meaning of freedom. What does freedom mean to you?
To me, it’s the ability to live freely, think freely, speak freely, and move freely. The bravery of those before me is more than enough reason to keep going. Their resilience, drive, and spirit are certainly the reasons for the Juneteenth season.
Racial injustice and inequality have not disappeared. There will likely always be room for improvement. We are the change agents. We cannot become complacent. We cannot give up. We must always remember and most importantly – we must keep going because one day we will be able to look back and see how far we have come.
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