+ juneteenth.

+ juneteenth is the closest thing there is to an honest independence day. yet even today, in the midst of this global revolt against systemic racism & the violence which stems from it, we view this holiday joyfully yes but also somewhat mournfully. 

the enduring legacy of slavery, a system that criminalized & exploited black people, is evident in the persistent inequity, racism & injustice afflicting our nation. 

despite the signing of the emancipation proclamation in 1863, some states invested in the industry of slavery with active resistance to the emancipation of black people. it wasn’t until union general gordon granger arrived in galveston, texas on 19 june of 1865 to enforce the emancipation proclamation that the last enslaved afrikans were free. as a black man, i often think about how my ancestors must have felt as they processed the meaning of freedom & how they rejoiced in celebration.

growing up, the fourth of july was one of my most favorite holidays. the fireworks, the summer vibes, what felt like unity among a large nation coupled with the fact that my family always has a huge celebration whereas we’d gather from all over the country to a small coastal town in north carolina. we celebrated on the fourth of july but we also celebrated juneteenth even more so. 

in grade school, we were taught about the declaration of independence & how the ‘founding fathers’ fought for freedom (for some because we were viewed as sub-human underneath a dog). moving right along, ‘no taxation without representation’ still rings in my mind. i can recall flipping through the history books to find one paragraph about my people being enslaved & a small section on the civil rights era, which i was made to believe was eons ago. luckily i had parents, aunts, uncles & elders to teach me the way of who we are as a people . no, i did not learn of juneteenth in school & that was by design; their design. 

juneteenth is now my independence day; one of my favorite holidays. on this historic day, out ancestors were acknowledged for their humanity( & their survival offers us the opportunity to become their greatest, wildest dream. happy juneteenth from the family at namuhueman.