Culturally Free: Why we Celebrate Juneteenth
“We celebrate Juneteenth as a special day to signify the strength and perseverance of our ancestors and to remember what being free means to those who may have not had a true experience of freedom or who may not be experiencing true and untouched freedom of self. ”
Freedom, and what it really means to be free, is all a matter of personal perception and how you define what being free means. Is it being free from all things “bad” (in terms of racial matters, coercion, constraint, or anything that will cause mental, spiritual, or physical warfare within a person)? Is it being released from the shackles of mental, physical, and emotional slavery, while rising above the negative stereotypes of what’s perceived about you? Freedom - and what it really means to be free, is something that should be on the top of everyone’s mind during this holiday season, as freedom is something we all possess but may not know we have or are able to utilize fully. Speaking of holidays, Juneteenth is right around the corner, and I would like to tell you about what it means to be culturally free and why we (as Black, Indigenous, People of Color) celebrate Juneteenth.
What is Juneteenth, you may ask: Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. It has officially been 158 years since freedom came to enslaved people in the United States, which occurred on June 19, 1865. There is a long and varied history of Juneteenth starting from February 12, 1979, with a man named Al Edwards (who was a freshman state representative at the time) putting forward Housing Bill 1016 (which made Texas the first state to grant the emancipation celebration in 1980). It took about 4 months for the bill passing process to take effect, as it was read 3 times by the House, sent to the Senate and read 3 times, and then passed on May 4th, 1979, In the subsequent weeks, it was signed into the house (5/26/1979), then signed into the senate (5/27/1979), and then sent and signed by the Governor (5/28/1979).. Juneteenth has been recognized as a federal holiday in each state at different times from 1980 to 2021. It became a recognized federal holiday in 2021 by President Joe Biden (who signed the Juneteenth National Independence Act into law). It has been recognized as a paid or legal holiday in many states throughout the country starting in 1980 in Texas. It stopped and picked back up in 2020 with Virginia viewing it as a paid or legal holiday and led to many other states beginning to view Juneteenth as a paid holiday such as New York, Maryland, Missouri, Idaho, and Illinois.
Freedom is something that we all have in common but how we all use freedom to our advantage is what makes us individuals by nature. Culturally, to be free is to be able to express yourself and participate in the transmission of opinion, ideas, and artistic expression throughout the world. Cultural freedom is just as important as something like mental or physical freedom because it - in my opinion - harbors self expression and creativity within the human existence and allows every individual being to feel liberated and able to be their unique self. To be culturally free is to not listen to those doubts and whispers of negativity that you hear in everyday life, to be culturally free is to embrace different viewpoints and not take them literally but as constructive criticism and as a way to navigate the trials and tribulations of creative expression and self perseverance. To be free culturally is to be free mentally first and then everything will fall in line like an assembly line.
Juneteenth is a representation of that freedom and is an important holiday that allows all people who celebrate to celebrate being free mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and culturally. It is not a reminder of the 400+ years of being held in captivity but the celebration of us (as a race [or races]) being able to bask in the freedom that is so rightfully ours. We celebrate Juneteenth as a special day to signify the strength and perseverance of our ancestors and to remember what being free means to those who may have not had a true experience of freedom or who may not be experiencing true and untouched freedom of self. Juneteenth represents that inner knowing that we will always be free in more than one way and that slavery is not only physical but can affect all other facets of your being.
We celebrate and recognize Juneteenth because we want to acknowledge all of what our ancestors experienced and we want to pay homage to those whose family lineage that we come from. Juneteenth is not just another day off, it is knowing that we can no longer be held in those chains that kept us in bondage. It is knowing that we are free to think, speak, and act freely in today’s society and not be completely reprimanded by those who might think that they are superior to you. We no longer are in the days where that happens as often as it did. Juneteenth is a holiday that means something to a lot of people and is representative of the many struggles and plight of those who came before us.
Shakirah jones
Shakirah Jones is an artist who plays piano and clarinet, draws, and writes poetry. She draws her inspiration from her life experiences.
Prior to becoming the Youth Programs Coordinator, she was a Community Advocate with Thriving Cities Group.
Shakirah also has experience volunteering with youth at Caritas.
While working with community activists, she has gained insight into the way diversified communities react to positive change.
Contact Shakirah at Shakirah@vacommunityvoice.org