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Juneteenth has long been celebrated by Black people, but thankfully its finally been recognized by the government.
While most are glad it’s now a federal holiday, at what cost did it come?
A new three-day weekend in the summer amid Memorial Day and Labor Day is great, but should everyone get that extra Monday in June off?
A new piece by LEVEL delves into the Juneteenth holiday and decides that since it’s a Black holiday, white people should still be punching the clock every year once the day rolls around.
“I do not believe non-Black people should be rewarded with a day off from work for Juneteenth,” the piece plainly says.
The day, stemming from June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, marks when Union General Gordon Granger delivered the news that slavery was over, some three years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.
President Biden signed the holiday into law in 2021. Still, as we fight for justice in the killing of innocent Black people at the hands of police — like Breonna Taylor and George Floyd — it seems to be more of a Band-Aid than an actual way to solve social unrest in America.
But a day off is always welcomed. Right? Right.
“Now, just because this legislation is performative as hell doesn’t mean I’m above celebrating a day that pays homage to a crucial moment in African American history, as I have for many years. I can appreciate widespread conversation around the Black experience in this country — especially if that dialogue comes with a day off from work,” the article reads.
The piece delves deeper into the many ways America commodifies plights of Black Americans on Juneteenth with store sales, cheap gimmicky merchandise and Junteenth-flavored ice cream.
Ultimately, the author knows it’s a tall order to ask for the holiday to be segregated but hopes white folks do some soul-searching.
“I hope they spend Juneteenth educating themselves about the legacy of oppression that Black Americans have experienced. I hope they speak with their non-melanated friends about the work that still needs to be done to eradicate racism. I hope they buy Black. I hope they donate time or money to organizations pushing to improve conditions for Black people in America,” the article concludes. “I’m not counting on it, but if they do, that might be the biggest surprise of all.”
Twitter feels uneasy too. See the reactions below.
