Hello! Today is not just another regular day in June. Today is a day that we will remember the history of America. And while there is history that has been good and advance to our country, there is also history that is shameful. Today we remember the lives of the enslaved during the 19th century. Today marks the day where our nation moved forward and emancipated the people of Galveston, Texas on June 19th, 1865. Juneteenth is a holiday that has been long deserved.
The history of slavery is part of our country, and while it is something that is horrendous, I feel that schools don’t focus on what really happened. Whenever slavery is mentioned, I feel that schools primarily focus on the economic impact, but barely talk about the conditions and quality of life these slaves endured. These people were not treated as humans. They were seen as objects of labor and abused for their work. Juneteenth marks the independence of black people in America, but this holiday doesn’t stop here. This day should be recognized for the progress that has happened, but also that is yet to come. A holiday will not fix this. In fact, it gives the government another day off. Don’t get me wrong, it is fantastic that this movement is getting the recognition it deserves, but it cannot stop here.
There is so much work to be done. There has been very little done to constitute a change in the government around the opinions and voiced concerns from the BLM movement, and nothing has happened with the police reformation. Our voices are loud, and we know people can hear them, but the problem is America. Our country is founded on the idea that we all have the ability to voice our opinions and have them heard. This causes a problem because every proposition of change is met with voices from both sides. Nonetheless, I see this holiday as progress forward and I hope to see even more in the future. I hope everyone will take this day to learn more about the oppression of African Americans during the 19th century and even now.