Be Who You Know You Are: Honoring the Spirit of Juneteenth

Juneteenth used to be my own personal holiday.

I honored it not because it was printed on a calendar or endorsed by my workplace, but because it deserved to be acknowledged and celebrated, just like any holiday that carries history, legacy, and meaning. At the time, it wasn’t mentioned. Not in staff meetings. Not in casual conversations. Not even during moments when we reflected on culture or community. When I brought it up to colleagues, most had never heard of it. They listened. They were receptive to the history and engaged in the moment. But that’s where it stayed: in the moment. It never moved beyond polite interest.

I originally learned about Juneteenth through an episode of the television series Black-ish. The show often blended humor with thoughtful commentary, shining a light on issues relevant to the Black community. One episode in particular left a lasting impression. It broke down the meaning of Juneteenth in a way that was both accessible and deeply resonant. That was the first time I saw the holiday centered and explained with clarity in a mainstream space.

After that, I wanted to learn more. I discovered that Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865: the day Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform the last remaining enslaved people that they were free. This was over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed. For more than twenty-four months, these individuals continued living in bondage, unaware that their freedom had already been declared. And while some explain the delay as a communication issue, we know better. Freedom delayed is freedom denied.

Let that settle for a moment.

Imagine waking up every day, following orders, laboring under someone else’s control, not knowing that you had already been declared free. That isn’t just a historical footnote. It is a reflection of how silence, when paired with power, becomes its own kind of prison.

Yes, communication in 1865 was slower than it is today. But that does not erase the reality. The truth was withheld. And when freedom is withheld, intentionally or not, the damage is still real.

Juneteenth, for me, is not just about the moment people were informed of their liberation. It’s about what it means to know, with certainty, that you have the right to exist fully as yourself. To walk in your own direction. To make your own choices. To say no, simply because you can.

People were treated like livestock: fenced in, monitored, and forced to obey. Juneteenth is about recognizing when that fence is gone and deciding never to step back into it.

This is a part of Juneteenth. It is the overarching message that I personally feel Juneteenth conveys for all people—for every human being. None of us should be considered enslaved by what someone else determines we are.

It is to honor those who were kept in the dark, not to see the light for at least two years, the light that was their freedom, but which only lit up once the message was received.

Remember everything Juneteenth represents, because Juneteenth isn’t just for one day in a year. This day lives within us every single day of our lives. It allows us to leave a legacy behind once we leave this earth, telling the world who we are and who we chose to be.

---

References

1. The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth – National Museum of African American History and Culture

https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/historical-legacy-juneteenth

2. Juneteenth: Our Other Independence Day – Smithsonian Magazine

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/juneteenth-our-other-independence-day-165259

3. What is Juneteenth and when did it become a US federal holiday? – Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-juneteenth-when-did-it-become-us-federal-holiday-2023-06-19/