Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Juneteenth a new ‘call to action’ for youth
Every year, Gabrielle Brissett and her family host a Fourth of July barbecue. But they’ll be having this celebration two weeks earlier this year, on Juneteenth — the commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States.
Brissett’s family will do all the same things. They will roast corn and eat pulled pork and oxtail. They will listen to reggae and dance hall and will play dominoes loudly. But on Juneteenth, June 19, Brissett will also read black literature and educate herself on African American history and their contributions to the country.
“I remember always asking my mom why we are having our barbecue for July 4th when black people weren’t free,” Brissett said, a recent graduate of Coral Glades High School in Coral Springs. “She said, ‘I don’t know! It never made sense.‘”
Some young black people are learning about and celebrating Juneteenth for the first time. They are connecting the themes of liberation and justice on display in the widespread Black Lives Matter protests that have been sparked by the death of George Floyd.
Juneteenth is an official
state holiday in Texas, where the original announcement in 1865 was made, and annual celebrations are a part of the African American culture. New York state just announced Juneteenth as a state holiday, and companies like Nike listed it as a paid holiday for its employees.
Many plan on turning Juneteenth into a tradition. “When I have children they’ll celebrate it, too,” Brissett said.
Black Student Unions in universities across South Florida are also hosting events for the holiday.
Josh Forde is a junior at Florida Atlantic University and a member of Progressive Black Men, a nonprofit service group fighting negative stereotypes about African Americans. This year, Forde is organizing the chapter’s annual Juneteenth cookout.
The four-hour-long event at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Boca Raton is a family-friendly barbecue, game day and rally for community activism, Forde said. Between eating hot dogs, burgers and chips, speakers will discuss not only the history of Juneteenth, but its connection to current protests and social injustice.
“This event, it’s a call to action,” the student said. “But it’s also a celebration. It’s an independence day.”
Anyone is welcome to attend, Forde said, and he expects a lot of students and their families will attend because of increased interest in and support for black lives and history.
“This is the first time in a lot of college students’ lives that we can really participate,” he said. “Right now, celebrating Juneteenth — given the social injustice that’s going on — it’s almost like a bigger picture.”
For Kennedy McKinney, president of FAU’s Black Student Union, Juneteenth was never a big deal until this year. It wasn’t taught in her high school history classes or celebrated like the Fourth of July. McKinney said she didn’t even know what it was until a year ago when she joined the BSU.
But with newfound information and a fiery spirit for racial justice spurred by current events, the sophomore journalism student said she is making Juneteenth her official independence day. This year, she knows families who are taking off work to celebrate.
“My generation, we’re more outspoken about certain things about Juneteenth,” McKinney said. “It comes with social media. We’re having conversations with our friend group. We have platforms for activism and awareness.”
She, along with her dog, brother and parents, is having a small barbecue Friday and setting off fireworks to celebrate the holiday for the first time.
“We usually do this for the Fourth of July,” McKinney said, “but this year, we feel like it’s more important to highlight and celebrate Juneteenth.”