As Massachusetts celebrates Juneteenth as an official state holiday, let us go back to 1865. Let’s think about the enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas, who unshackled their hearts and hands to journey courageously forward along the long and winding walk to freedom.
They received news of their freedom some two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. It was only when Union troops arrived in Galveston that Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, commanding officer, District of Texas, read “General Order No. 3” on June 19, 1865, that the words confirming emancipation of the enslaved filtered throughout the state.
June 19 (Juneteenth) -known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day and Emancipation Day - should inspire us to think about the meaning of freedom, equality and hope. Juneteenth reminds us that freedom is not free, liberty is not guaranteed, justice is not always served and “truth” may be a matter of interpretation.
Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee once said, “Juneteenth must always remain a reminder to us all that liberty and freedom are the precious birthright of all Americans which must be jealously guarded and preserved for future generations.”
What is freedom? What truths are self-evident?
The history lesson of Juneteenth begins with truth-telling about complexities and compromises about freedom and justice that were made over time. Amilcar Shabazz, a professor of history and Africana studies in the W. E. B. DuBois Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who guided Massachusetts legislators in pursuit of Juneteenth as a state holiday, said, “The notion of freedom has been compromised in the United States as it relates to the enslaved, the system of human enslavement all the way back to the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and all through American history:”
● 1776: The Declaration of Independence didn’t address the freedoms of the enslaved;
● 1789: The U.S. Constitution, crafted by the “founding fathers” (some slaveowners or with wealth related to slavery), protected the transatlantic slave trade and contained the infamous three-fifths compromise agreement between delegates from the northern and the southern states that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives;
● 1791: The Bill of Rights protected slavery via “slave codes” until the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in 1865, the 14th Amendment granted citizenship to the enslaved in 1868 and the 15th Amendment granted the right to vote in 1870; and
● 1863: President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1 to declare free “all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states.” While many African-Americans nationally have come a far way by faith since 1865, “freedom,” justice and equality remain on trial with a range of challenges from voting rights to police brutality, education and health.
The journey to Juneteenth in Massachusetts highlights the collective efforts of communities and legislators to recognize the significance of Juneteenth:
● 1990s A “modern Juneteenth Movement” emerged with passionate community members, including Ben Haith, of Boston, the late Edwina Weston Dyer, of Framingham, and the late LuJuana Hood, of Springfield, of the Pan African Historical Museum of the USA;
● 1997: The Juneteenth flag was designed by “Boston Ben” Haith;
● 2007: Gov. Deval Patrick first officially recognized Juneteenth in Massachusetts by proclamation;
● June 2020: With direction by Dr. Shabazz, a group of state representatives filed an act to create the Juneteenth holiday in Massachusetts, including Maria Robinson, of Framingham, Bud L. Williams, of Springfield, Chynah Tyler, of Boston, and Mindy Domb, of Amherst, along with state Sens. Brendan Crighton, of Lynn, Sonia Chang-Diaz, of Jamaica Plain, and Jo Comerford, of Northampton;
● July 24, Gov. Charlie Baker signed Juneteenth into law as an official state holiday;
● 2021: U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, D-Massachusetts, joined Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and other legislators to make Juneteenth the 12th federal holiday: “For too long, we have tried to whitewash our nation’s history instead of confronting the uncomfortable and painful truth. This legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday is but one step we can take to begin to right the wrongs of the past and ensure equal justice in the future,” Markey said; and
● 2021: Dr. Shabazz engaged with and inspired legislators over the past year to pursue Juneteenth as a state holiday. To coincide with the inaugural holiday this week, Shabazz will unveil the stories of Amherst residents Christopher, John, Henry, James, and Charles Thompson, who served in the 54th Regiment of the Massachusetts, 5th Cavalry, who were among the soldiers in Texas for the liberation. “They are laid to rest in Amherst’s West Cemetery,” notes Shabazz, who credits Amherst resident Dudley Bridges with preserving the handcrafted marble tablets, which have been hidden from public view for decades.
We should acknowledge Juneteenth with a renewed commitment to righting the wrongs of history. One organization calls out systemic racism for “contributing to the persistence of race-based gaps that manifest in many different economic indicators.”
As we embark upon this new holiday for Massachusetts, Dr. Shabazz encourages us to remember that “there were soldiers from the Massachusetts 54th in the regiment that went into Galveston, and moved through Texas, down the Brazos River and out to spread the word by military force about the end of slavery. The immediate result was joy and jubilation -- the Jubilee.”
Let’s take that hope and joy on the continued journey to a more perfect union with freedom, justice, and equality for all.
Janine Fondon is chair of undergraduate communications at Bay Path University and president and CEO of UnityFirst.com.
The Link LonkJune 13, 2021 at 05:47PM
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Juneteenth state holiday is time to continue the journey for hope (Guest viewpoint) - masslive.com
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