On the occasion of Juneteenth 2021

I realize some of you are new to Juneteenth. It’s not a new holiday. It might be a new-to-you holiday. Our family grew up celebrating Juneteenth every year in Williamsport with the biggest cookout in the city at Brandon Park and EVERYBODY got a plate.

Juneteenth is a day for dignity and freedom. Until Juneteenth, the first sentence of the second paragraph of our country’s Declaration of Independence was an unequivocal lie. I think one of the most important speeches in American history was when Frederick Douglass called out this lie when he was asked to speak at a commemoration of the 4th of July.

You can and should read Douglass’ whole speech.

It tells you exactly why Juneteenth matters. It would be over a decade after Douglass delivered this speech until Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. It would be another two and half years before the last slaves in the south were informed of their freedom in Galveston, TX.

To me, Juneteenth is a true and better Independence Day. I’m glad we’re finally celebrating it together.