Juneteenth

Today is Juneteenth!

In an earlier post (America Then / America Now / America Next) I emphasized that many of the issues that divided the nation in the Civil War era continue to be flashpoints today.

Juneteenth is another historical marker of this division. Why would the moment when the nation declared that Americans would no longer be divided into some who were people and others who were property not be unanimously celebrated a moment of triumph for democracy?

And yet, as the Guardian reports:

Juneteenth has been recognized as a US federal holiday since 2021 and acts as a day to celebrate the end of slavery in the country – but millions of Americans will not have the day off today, 19 June, to mark the occasion.

At least 30 states – including most recently Rhode Island and Kentucky – and the District of Columbia recognize Juneteenth as an official public holiday, according to the Pew Research Center.

Yet as the number of states to legally declare Juneteenth a holiday rises, other states continue to cling to holidays that honor the Confederacy.

Ten states – all in the American south – have at least one day commemorating the Confederacy, according to Axios, and six former Confederate states do not officially recognize Juneteenth: Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, South Carolina and North Carolina.

Symbols and symbolic occasions, such as celebrations and holidays, are important. Juneteenth 2025 is yet another reminder of the dramatically different visions of America between which we are in the process of choosing.

Reference: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/19/states-that-do-not-honor-juneteenth