Discovering the Nature of Juneteenth at a Picnic
Thanks to Juneteenth, today I got out of work early. I decided to spend the extra hour taking a walk around the city on this humid Wednesday afternoon. However, the barrage of honking and construction noise near the tall office buildings quickly pulled me away from my intended peaceful stroll. As I wandered further from the city center, I noticed a parade in a park celebrating Juneteenth. Curious, I walked towards the festivities.
People were mingling, eating, dancing, and having a great time. Banners in red, green, and black fluttered in the breeze, participants donned traditional African garb, and the air was filled with the rhythm of African music. Everything felt distinctly African, not African American. I found this intriguing, so when things calmed down, I approached a large man who had given a speech earlier.
While he was enjoying his food, I sat across from him. "Excuse me, sir. May I ask you a question?"
"My pleasure. How can I help you, son?" he replied warmly.
"This is a Juneteenth celebration, right?" I asked.
"You bet!" he exclaimed with enthusiasm.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but Juneteenth commemorates the day when the last enslaved people in the United States were freed, correct?"
He nodded, taking a bite of his meal.
"And it was through the Civil War and the Union's efforts that this was achieved?"
He chuckled. "You sure do ask a lot of questions, don't you?"
"Sorry, I just want to make sure I have my facts straight. My main question is about the celebration itself. Why are the banners red, black, and green, and why is the music African? It seems more like a Pan-African festival than a celebration of African American heritage."
"What's your name, kid?" he asked, setting his fork down.
"Paine," I replied proudly.
"Like Thomas Paine?" he inquired, intrigued.
"You know your history!" I exclaimed, impressed.
"Well, I reenact Frederick Douglass here every year. My name is Kyle," he said, shaking my hand.
"No kidding! That's amazing!" I responded, excited.
"I've been doing this for eight years, and you're the first young person to call it 'amazing,'" he chuckled.
"So, you recite 'What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?' every year?" I asked.
"And ‘How to End the War,' on Memorial Day," he added.
"You're really the coolest," I said, genuinely impressed.
He laughed heartily. "To answer your question, Paine, I don't organize these events. I just show up, give a speech, and enjoy the food. But you raise an interesting point. Why don't you explain it to me a bit more?"
"Sure, Kyle. For starters, I think it would be more appropriate to celebrate African American culture rather than African culture. The transatlantic slave trade ended in the early nineteenth century, and most Black Americans have been born in the United States for generations. African American culture has developed and thrived independently of pure African culture."
"So, because Africanism is so far removed from African Americans, you think African American culture deserves more recognition on Juneteenth?" he clarified.
"Well, I think so," I confirmed, as I had not yet fleshed these ideas out too much.
"How would you respond to those who say that African culture represents their ancestral homeland, and celebrating it fosters a sense of connection?" he asked.
"Well, I'd argue that no group has a linear history. Every nation has 'what if' scenarios. For instance, if not for Napoleon, France might not have waged war on Europe; if not for Archduke Ferdinand's assassination, World War I might not have happened; if not for 9/11, we might not have certain modern policies. Imagining hypotheticals is virtually pointless," I countered.
"But maybe celebrating African culture helps them feel a stronger sense of community?" he suggested.
"Community is rooted in one's current culture. If most African Americans tried to blend in with a group of Africans, they'd stick out due to the vast cultural differences. The two cultures have evolved separately for centuries," I responded.
"I see your point. You mentioned celebrating the United States as well?" he asked.
"Yes. Wouldn’t flying red, white, and blue on Juneteenth make more sense instead of red, black, and green? The abolition of slavery was achieved through American efforts, abolitionists, and the founding liberal principles of the nation," I stated firmly.
"Paine, don't you find it odd to celebrate a country that once subjugated your ancestors? While it's true that the country did eventually free them, it also enslaved them in the first place. Does a change of heart rectify those actions?" he challenged.
"I don't think that's the right perspective, Kyle. Slavery is an institution that has been around since the dawn of man. But America's brand of slavery was unique because it was a contradiction within a nation founded on liberty. Slave owners had to justify their actions by dehumanizing Black slaves as property," I explained.
"So, the hypocrisy of slavery in a freedom-loving nation made our journey with slavery and racism particularly tumultuous," he summarized.
"Exactly. Frederick Douglass recognized this. He said, 'Would you have me argue that man is entitled to liberty? That he is the rightful owner of his own body? You have already declared it,'" I quoted.
"Wow,” he said intrigued. “But do you think this makes the United States deserving of praise on these grounds?
"You know, I think I do. We were the first country to declare liberty to be our core value. And we had to contend with the fact that societal customs would take time to adapt to this core value. We put freedom ahead of everything in our creation even though many were not quite ready for it yet. In this sense, we had to crawl so that the rest of modern western society could run."
"I see."
"The founding fathers who opposed slavery purposefully provided the tools to end it. Douglass acknowledged this in his speeches, seeing hope in the Declaration of Independence and American institutions," I continued.
“I do not despair of this country. There are forces in operation which must inevitably work the downfall of slavery. "The arm of the Lord is not shortened," and the doom of slavery is certain. I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope. While drawing encouragement from "the Declaration of Independence," the great principles it contains, and the genius of American Institutions, my spirit is also cheered by the obvious tendencies of the age.”
Frederick Douglass, What is the 4th of July to a Slave?
"So, you think that the Fourth of July and Juneteenth are two sides of the same coin?"
"That’s the perfect way to put it! Juneteenth is the fulfillment of the ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. It's a realization of the freedom envisioned by the founding fathers,"
"Paine, next Juneteenth, I'm bringing this to the attention of the planners next year."
"Really?" I asked, surprised.
"Yes, Paine! Your perspective unites conservatives and liberals alike. It's a comprehensive understanding of what it means to be both Black and American. Your idea is fundamentally American."
"Wow, that's quite a compliment, Kyle," I said, genuinely moved.
"No problem, kid. I have to get around to mingling, but I'd love to talk to you again sometime. See you around!" he said, waving goodbye.
"Yeah, see you around," I replied, smiling.
Juneteenth, in my opinion, is one of the ideologically finest yet misunderstood holidays we celebrate. Conservatives can reject this holiday on its face, viewing it as a concession from the recent BLM movement. And others too, will view it as a celebration of a people who have little to do with the origins of this joyous day. Before this dialogue, these ideas were merely eggs that had not hatched as of yet. But through constructive dialogue and careful listening, a new friend and I uncovered what we believe to be the true nature of this momentous occasion.
