Juneteenth: A True American Holiday
Juneteenth. Long-overdue commemoration — or unnecessary holiday?
The fact that the question is even being discussed reflects the political polarization gripping America. Put another way, how could we not want to honor one of the greatest achievements in our nation’s history — the triumph over slavery?
With that in mind, consider the following:
1) President Biden declared Juneteenth a federal holiday last year, deservedly so. However, several points. First, too many get wrapped up in whether a given cause is made into a federal and state holiday with paid time off. But as Tom Cruise says to the dishonorably discharged Marine in “A Few Good Men” — “You don’t need to wear a patch on your arm to have honor.” Translation: the most important aspects to Juneteenth are not whether every state makes it an official holiday, but educating Americans to its historical significance, learning from the past so that mistakes aren’t repeated, and celebrating America’s unprecedented ability to correct its mistakes. Sure, designating it a holiday garners legitimacy, but it’s the ideas that matter infinitely more. After all, some of the most inspirational celebrations are not holidays at all, such as Valentine’s Day, when the themes of love, friendship and caring — and what is more important than they — rejuvenate our collective soul.
Second, it is appalling that America chooses not to individually celebrate the storied lives of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln — without whom the United States of America would not exist — but instead throws them together in a mishmash holiday called “President’s Day,” replete with its furniture deals and car sales. (Technically, the official federal holiday celebrates Washington’s birthday, but in practical terms, that aspect was lost long ago). How is it appropriate to honor
Juneteenth and Martin Luther King, Jr. with deserving national holidays, but marginalize both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln? That has nothing to do with race, and everything to do with incompetence since two of history’s — not just American, but all of history’s — greatest figures each deserves his own special day.
In anticipation of blowback from the Cancel Culture that George Washington doesn’t deserve anything since he owned slaves — think again. It goes without saying that slavery was horrific. But do we condemn, for all of eternity, those who owned slaves — a common practice of that era? Do we disregard, and even whitewash from history, a person’s decent qualities and accomplishments, solely because of that sin?
If that’s the case, every monument to Thomas Jefferson — by far America’s biggest hypocrite on the slavery issue — has to go. The man who threatened to derail the Declaration of Independence if an anti-slavery clause wasn’t added was himself an avid slave owner. As a crusader against the practice — so long as he could keep his slaves — Jefferson is perhaps America’s most overrated “hero.”
But does that mean we should blast his face off Rushmore, and dismantle the Jefferson Memorial? Should we close the University of Virginia, which he founded? And do we shutter numerous universities that were founded on profits from the slave trade, or otherwise tied to slavery?
Of course not. We need to be mature enough to discern mistakes from accomplishments, celebrating the significance of the latter while not endorsing the former. Erasing history is never the solution.
2) Some activists are irate that not all states have made Juneteenth a holiday. Working toward that goal by petitions and educating the public is commendable, but calling for boycotts until a state acquiesces is the worst possible approach. Obviously, boycotting is the right of an individual or company, but it’s usually counterproductive. Major League Baseball moved its All-Star game last year because it didn’t like Georgia’s voting laws. But in doing so, black-owned businesses in majority-black Atlanta suffered financially, creating animosity where there hadn’t been. Those favoring strong-arm tactics to achieve a political objective should think twice, since Americans — all Americans, of all colors — share the trait that they don’t like being bullied into submission, on any issue. The path to success is by changing hearts and minds — not issuing boycott threats.
3) Enacting holidays for both Washington and Lincoln notwithstanding, we need to be mindful of how many more federal holidays are created. The list stands at eleven, but in the age of victimhood and grievances, there will no doubt be calls for more. And while there are many causes and groups that merit recognition, either for achievements and/or suffering that they endured, the onus should be on educating the public about issues and history instead of getting bogged in the quagmire where subsets of subsets of subsets demand their own holiday.
Speaking of education, some Republican pols oppose Juneteenth becoming a state holiday because not enough people know what it is. Two counterpoints: A) the quickest way to inform people as to the history of Juneteenth is to discuss it at the highest levels, so making it a state holiday could accomplish the goal of educating the masses. And B) if the litmus test for a holiday is people’s knowledge of a particular person or subject, you might as well cancel the whole list. After all, many Americans can’t name the century — let alone decade or year — when the Revolutionary and Civil Wars occurred. They don’t know much about the wars where Americans gave the greatest sacrifice. And the only things they can reliably recite about other holidays are that Pilgrims ate corn with Native Americans at Thanksgiving;
Columbus discovered America…somewhere, a long, long time ago; Labor Day is the last hurrah of summer, and Independence Day is when we watch fireworks to celebrate the war “ending” on July 4, 1776 — even though fighting didn’t cease until seven years later. Of course, this isn’t surprising, since more than two-thirds of Americans can’t even pass the basic citizenship test.
Maybe those opposing Juneteenth on educational grounds should test the knowledge of their constituencies -— and themselves — before making such ignorant pronouncements.
4) For Juneteenth to become a more widely-accepted day, it is imperative to keep it in its proper context, which is a historical holiday. It cannot become political, nor can it be a “Black” holiday, for the second you go down that road, it all goes to hell — and the gulf widens. In its truest essence, Juneteenth is about advocating a color-blind society where the rule of law prevails for everyone — equality for all, special treatment for none. And it is about celebrating the monumental achievements of blacks, whites and all Americans who fought — and died, by the hundreds of thousands — side by side, in pursuit of the most basic human right: freedom. Just as the Civil Rights battles could not have been won without the unwavering support of millions of non-blacks locking arms with African Americans, so too would Juneteenth not exist if the legions of anti-slavery advocates didn’t risk breaking the Union in the quest for freedom.
The point isn’t that one group should be indebted to the other. Quite the opposite: Juneteenth is a day that symbolizes what America was, is, and must continue to be: a cohesive nation of Americans — not blacks and whites, but simply Americans — looking out for each other, and fighting injustices wherever they occur, color be damned.
America has such a special place in world history because we are unique in making amends for our mistakes. From internment camps to slavery; supporting brutal dictators to denying women the right to vote; and from mistreating Native Americans to wiping out buffalo and redwoods, we clearly did not always do the right thing. But through it all, America has shown a most remarkable resilience to conquer its demons, exorcising them to rectify our failings and make things better for future generations.
We have always been a beacon of hope for those who crave independence, tolerance and a fresh start. In the spirit of Juneteenth, let’s salute those who continue to fight with valor to keep our oasis of freedom from running dry. And may the colors of liberty never run.