Beyond knowing this basic history of Juneteenth, there is the question of how to observe this holiday for people of different races. In the Black community, the holiday is a time of joy and celebration commemorating the end of the horrors of slavery as well as focusing on the ongoing struggle to achieve the “absolute equality” referred to in General Order No. 3.
For those of us in the white community, I believe that the way we observe the holiday needs to be somewhat different. It is a time to learn and reflect not only about the history of Juneteenth but also about the ways that “absolute equality” has been denied to Black people through subsequent forms of systemic racism including convict leasing, Jim Crow legal segregation, redlining, voter suppression, and mass incarceration. As we learn and reflect, it is essential to listen to the real life experiences of people who suffered from those systems, courageously resisted racism, and worked to change those systems. This is not limited to the past but continues today. It should be obvious that observing Juneteenth in this way cannot be limited to one day each year. Rather this cycle of learning and listening needs to be repeated throughout our lives. Such commitment provides the foundation to work together to address the ongoing impacts of racism until the goal of “absolute equality” is a reality. In other words, Juneteenth can be a springboard for deepening our understanding of and commitment to the reality that every person is made in the image of God.
As a way of engaging in the practice of learning and listening, I encourage you to view the three short videos posted below. The first one features the prominent historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr who shares the history of Juneteenth. The second one features Opal Lee who is considered the “grandmother of Juneteenth” for her efforts in making is a federal holiday. The third one features Mark Neal who is a professor of African and African American studies at Duke University. He shares some thoughts in response to the question of how white people can observe Juneteenth.