Juneteenth celebrates progress US has made, reflects on gaps to be filled

Wednesday, June 19, 2024 | 2 a.m.

The land of the free was anything but free for the first 89 years of the American experiment. No matter what ideals they may have claimed to believe in, America’s founders created a system of governance that valued the economic interests of America’s wealthy landowners more than the basic human and civil rights of millions of enslaved Black Americans.

Embracing slavery was an intentional decision by the founders, debated openly at the constitutional convention and in numerous letters and other documents. Some of them even acknowledged that slavery violated the most basic ideals of American liberty.

However, their commitment to property rights, philosophies of limited government and desire to build consensus with the other delegates to the convention – nearly half of whom owned slaves – led to a shameful compromise that condemned Blacks, and some Native Americans, to continued slavery.

President Abraham Lincoln took the first step toward undoing America’s original sin in 1863, when he issued the Emancipation Proclamation and legally ended slavery in the United States. While enslaved people in Southern states were almost certainly aware of the Emancipation Proclamation, it couldn’t be enforced in the South until the Confederacy surrendered to end the Civil War.

Word traveled slowly in those days, especially in the West.

On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced General Order No. 3, which proclaimed the freedom of all enslaved people in Texas, and the official end of slavery in the United States.

One year later, freedmen and women organized the first annual “Jubilee Day” on June 19, 1866. This tradition spread across Texas and eventually to other states as African Americans migrated throughout the country. The celebrations often included readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, religious ceremonies and the singing of spirituals, embedding the day with cultural and historical significance.

Today, millions of Americans celebrate Juneteenth.

While the end of slavery is certainly a milestone that is worthy of celebration, it is important to remember that declaring freedom for Black people did not make them free.

The end of a legal system that commodified Black human beings and treated them as property marked the beginning of a new legal system that treated Black human beings as enemy combatants in a society that created, in essence, a different economy and different rights for white people and people of color. While 1865 marked a significant step forward for the U.S. legal system, it would be another century before society joined in taking even a baby step on the march toward freedom and equality for Black Americans.

That march continues today.

Since President Joe Biden took office, the Justice Department has brought redlining lawsuits against more than a dozen banks and insurance providers, accusing them of denying mortgage, lending and insurance to non-white homeowners and prospective homeowners based on their race and the area where they seek to reside. Social media platforms like Facebook have been charged with allowing landlords and real estate agents to systemically exclude minorities from seeing ads for housing in certain affluent and predominantly white neighborhoods and communities. And just last year, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down congressional district maps in Alabama on the basis of blatant racial gerrymandering.

Even Juneteenth itself was not recognized as a national holiday until the 2020 murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and other Black Americans thrust issues of racial justice into the spotlight.

While the nation struggled with the horror of those deaths, which amid this backdrop of heightened awareness of the historical and ongoing struggles faced by African Americans, the anguish fueled a decades-long campaign led by retired teacher, counselor and activist Opal Lee to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday.This led to a bipartisan effort in the U.S. Congress to officially recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday. On June 17, 2021, Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, making it the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established in 1983.

Juneteenth serves as a powerful reminder of the gaps that exist between American ideals and our shortcomings. It prompts reflection on the past, present and future, acknowledging the atrocities of slavery, the heroism of those who fought for freedom and the struggles that continue today. It is as much a celebration of progress made as a call to action to address the systemic inequalities that continue today.

Moreover, Juneteenth encourages a broader dialogue about what freedom and equality truly mean in contemporary society. It challenges individuals and institutions to consider how the legacies of slavery and discrimination shape present-day policies and attitudes. Consider for a moment, how the economics of Black Americans might look different had they been allowed to earn and invest wages, purchase and pass down homes and property or been protected from predatory banking practices from the founding of our republic.

In other words, Juneteenth is more than just a recognition of a historical milestone of the past; it is a vibrant, living tradition that should challenge us to advocate for change moving forward.

We encourage all Las Vegans to participate in Juneteenth activities, celebrating progress made and reflecting on work yet to be done.