That title is a reference to a speech given by Frederick Douglass on July 5th, 1852.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2927t.html
I think it is a good reminder of the history leading up to the Civil War, but we need to think about the history after it. That includes slave owners sending slaves to Texas to try and preserve ownership, the need of military force in Texas to stop the thoroughly illegal but still continuing slavery, and continued murder and brute force after that.
https://forward.com/opinion/471597/juneteenth-what-really-happened/
Then you have the rise of the KKK, false arrests of the newly freed to make them slaves that way, Jim Crow codes to codify inequality, redlining, white flight, the War on Drugs, Lee Atwater's skill with dog whistles, police brutality and continual -- even at this very moment -- voter suppression.
White people have historically clung to slavery and racism.
That made me a little cynical about the declaration of a new national holiday, except that it makes Opal Lee so happy:
https://variety.com/2021/politics/features/activist-opal-lee-juneteenth-holiday-1234998507/
Symbols can matter, especially as reminders. Our country has a new reminder of its racist past. What are we going to do with it?
(Yes, I know it happened yesterday, but if you didn't commemorate it, it's okay if you do some of these things on other days.)
I have thought about this before, and thought that perhaps the best thing white people could do on Juneteenth was some sort of educational events, but we should also be giving Black people the day off. It's not their job to teach us. I mean, they are teaching us, all the time, but we can take some responsibility for that.
It's certainly not a time to pat ourselves on the back.
Juneteenth might be a good time to watch something educational: thoughts I had for Juneteenth watching included a special on the Tulsa Race Massacre, the "Minty" episode of Underground, or One Night in Miami.
The documentary Slavery By Another Name would also be a very relevant choice:
https://www.pbs.org/tpt/slavery-by-another-name/home/
One precaution to keep in mind is that it is easy to focus on Black pain, reducing Black people to the suffering of slavery. Black joy is important too.
Juneteenth can be used to support Black businesses. A great way to celebrate could be ordering from a Black-owned restaurant:
https://iloveblackfood.com/pdx-directory/
Direct giving is also often a life saver for the recipients. There have been a few Twitter threads with suggestions.
There should be some time for introspection; what have you done to acknowledge your white privilege and look beyond it?
Vote.org suggested taking a moment on Juneteenth to check that your voter registration is still active. That has a practical application, but also is a real reminder of constant efforts to disenfranchise Black voters.
Perhaps this is a good time to consider the Black people in your life. Might they need you to back them up at work? If they needed your support, would they have reason to feel comfortable asking you? Maybe it makes sense to send Juneteeth cards or notes or small gifts. Just don't do it in a way that puts obligation on them.
Possibly I should specify African-American, as we do have Black people (especially immigrants) whose families were not brought here via slavery. I am afraid, though, that they will face many of the same prejudices, and perhaps even more after a generation as they become more assimilated. White supremacy hurts everyone, but there is a logic to focusing specifically on the legacy of slavery for this day.
I know, it's a lot of "coulds" and "maybes", but this is personal. Where you are will have to dictate where you go next.
As always, I do believe that guidance is possible; you can find the most important area for improvement and the most practical path forward for you. I would like to suggest one other possibility, inspired by a conversation with a friend.
We were talking about racism in the church, and she told me about remembering in the 80s when people would pray for the fall of the Iron Curtain all of the time, so that missionaries could go there.
We can go to most countries now, but we aren't bringing our best if we are not engaging with the harmful legacy of racism in our church, and racism and slavery in our country.
So perhaps the best practice you can add to your life is praying for an end to racism. Whether that prayer ends up being more about rooting it out from your own heart and subconscious, or for the toppling of racist structures, making it a regular part of prayer means that you are remembering it, and keeping your heart open to inspiration.
When you do that, there is always something to do next. Even when it is hard, that is beautiful.
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