By Haley Valencort—This year, on June 19th, several areas of the United States will celebrate Juneteenth to commemorate the emancipation of all remaining slaves in Texas in 1865. Although, on the surface, the moment may seem like a cause worthy of celebration, many of those taking part are probably unaware of the dark history of this day, and may wish to think twice before raising a glass to toast freedom, liberty, and equal treatment regardless of race.
To begin with, we probably have an idealized vision of the Union soldiers who enforced the emancipation of the former slaves, but I bet that this couldn't be further from the truth. Even though freeing the slaves was the right thing to do, we need to remember that some of the soldiers probably did not offer to pay for new clothes for the newly freed individuals. It's more than likely that many of the soldiers had never attended a Black church service, and it's perfectly conceivable that more than one of the soldiers had used racial slurs that were common at the time.
What's more, did you know that there is no record of Abraham Lincoln, who supposedly was instrumental in the abolition of slavery, having ever attended an event in support of the LGBTQIA+ community? In fact, in all of his speeches and writings, there appears to be not a single word of support for our friends who do not fit the cis- or hetero-norms. I, for one, find his silence on these important matters deafening. Yes, although it is good that he signed the Emancipation Proclamation, what was really stopping him from signing it months, or even years, before January of 1863? Of course, the only answer is that he, too, was raging with unconscious racism and bigotry.
And so my point is, before you start celebrating Juneteenth this year, maybe you should rethink the kind of people you are proud of. Before you fire up that barbecue, remember that there was a guy in the Union army, probably named Jedediah or something, who expected his wife to remain home with the children while he went off to fight. Is that the kind of thing a feminist would do? Is that the type of person who represents you? If not, then maybe it's time we ended our memorial of June 19th, 1865.
Commenti