Friday, June 19, we will celebrate Juneteenth. Much like Martin Luther King Jr. Day, celebrated in January, this federal holiday owes its existence to the struggle of Black Americans, first for freedom and later for civil rights. But both of these holidays are for all of us, as we seek to improve the lived experiences of everyone.
The philosopher John Locke listed a trio of essential rights: “Life, Liberty and Property.” Thomas Jefferson refined that idea in the Declaration of Independence when he wrote: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
It is ironic that Jefferson owned slaves, just as it was surely ironic to slaves when Americans who were not slaves took up arms to fight for their freedom.
Juneteenth, a combination of “June” and “nineteenth,” commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved people would be freed. President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but the news took years to reach Texas and many other places. The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery, was ratified in December 1865.
Mary Elliott, curator of American Slavery at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, writes, “Juneteenth is important, because it reminds us of what we came through and what we can achieve.”
Juneteenth is an opportunity for people to celebrate freedom, history, heritage and culture. This year, we don’t have a formal celebration in the park. While some churches may take note of the holiday, the closest things we could find are a history presentation at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum and a two-day celebration (June 18-19) at the Chester I. Lewis Plaza in Hutchinson. But even without special programs and food, this is one more patriotic holiday we can celebrate as our National 250th Anniversary celebration approaches. After all, it’s a celebration of freedom and our heritage – a reminder that all are created equal.
Susan Thacker is managing editor of the Great Bend Tribune. Contact her at sthacker@gbtribune.com.
