Juneteenth

June 19 is a special day in history for the United States of America because it was the official day where the emancipation of enslavement took place. The original year this was recognized as an official holiday was in 1980, about 40 years ago. That meant that there had been about a century in gap between enslavement ending and it being officially recognized according to a calendar. The significance of this event has been lost over the years with many citizens not even knowing what the meaning of the day is or that it even exists. In this blog, we’ll talk a little bit about why the day is important to our nation as a whole today and how black lives have been experiencing the world in this country today as well.

The current social climate, although watered down by the media, is still going as strong as it has in the prior weeks in terms of protest for the injustices that black people have been enduring for centuries. In the midst of this global pandemic, Juneteenth has become a much more popular and more recognizable day for those who may have not known about its existence before through social media. With this awareness spreading regarding the meaning and symbolism of this day, it can put the frustration of the black community more into perspective. These protests are essentially attacking the root of racism that still exists today whether it is direct or systemic. The call for accountability, in the same way slavery was accounted for many years ago, is what is driving this charge forward for equality and justice for those who were forgotten. There have been countless names unfortunately that have fallen by the hands of racists and our justice system has not accounted for those actions but instead have watched it happen time and time again. What has been going on the past few weeks is the direct result of inaction for the black community and Juneteenth symbolizes the essence of why it is so important to continue to battle towards equality.

Some are debating whether or not Juneteenth should warrant a time-off work type of holiday due to the importance of the event that took place centuries ago and that is definitely a valid point to discuss. We definitely hope it goes through! The importance of recognizing Juneteenth is to realize that these injustices have not just began as the protests began. Instead, it has been an explosion of injustices over the years which has caused a tipping point in recent times. There will be no silence when justice is not served and this proclamation through the actions of the black community is a strong and noble one, for which we stand for as well. The fight will not be easy, but we are definitely heading in the right direction by making this issue the forefront of media outlets across the country. We as a society will be heard and that change will come!