As local celebrations near, Juneteenth becomes national holiday

(Gareth Henderson Photo)

When Juneteenth celebrations begin on Saturday across the U.S., they’ll be taking place on a new national holiday that was just signed into law. 

President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on Thursday, after the bill sailed through Congress this week. The nation’s 12th federal holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S., when General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, and announced that slaves in Texas were free by order of the President of the United States. The announcement came two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation — which had become official January 1, 1863.   

At Thursday’s signing ceremony, Vice President Kamala Harris and Biden acknowledged the Juneteenth bill was an important step forward for the country, but also a reminder of how much work remains on racial equity in the U.S.

“We have come far, and we have far to go, but today is a day of celebration,” said Harris, who is the first woman and first person of color to hold the office of vice president. “It is not only a day of pride, it is also a day for us to reaffirm and rededicate ourselves to action.” 

During his remarks, Biden said learning from the past is a key part of making a better future. He called Juneteenth “a day of profound weight and profound power.”

“Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, and a promise of a brighter morning to come,” he said.  

For local Juneteenth celebrations, the declaration of a national holiday shines a brighter spotlight on this day, and related efforts to promote diversity and education about American history. In Hartford, Vermont, the town government and the Hartford Committee on Racial Equity and Inclusion (HCOREI) are hosting a Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, from 3:30 to 6 p.m. at Lyman Point Park, at 171 Bridge St., in White River Junction. 

Hartford’s annual commemoration of African-American emancipation brings together Upper Valley communities for a casual gathering, an announcement said. It provides a space where people can honor this day and engage in “education and fellowship,” Allene Swienckowski, chairperson of HCOREI, said in the statement. 

“Juneteenth is such an important moment in history that should be acknowledged and celebrated,” she said. 

This will be Hartford’s second Juneteenth Celebration, but the first in person — last year’s inaugural event had to be held online due to the pandemic.

Joe Major, vice chair of the Hartford Select Board, said the celebration is meant to be an inclusive event, where anyone can come and learn more about this important day. He said several local residents have come up to him recently, wanting to learn more about the Juneteenth Celebration and what it means.

“It’s not just Black history; it’s American history,” Major said. “I want everyone to learn this, be a part of this, grow with this. It’s an inclusion celebration, not a segmented celebration. That’s the goal.” 

This year, speakers at the event include: Dia Draper, the assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion at Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business; Maggi Ibrahim, equity coordinator for the Hartford School District; U.S. Rep. Peter Welch; and State Rep. Kevin “Coach” Christie, who is also chair of the Hartford School Board. There will also be performances by Northern Stage and JAG Productions, and members of the Juneteenth 2021 planning committee will be on hand to provide information and answer questions.

Major, who is Black, grew up celebrating Juneteenth in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, which has the oldest Juneteenth celebration in the country. He saw the new federal holiday as a chance for the nation to learn, and grow, together. 

“I’m excited, once again because we’re learning about history and what this is all about,” Major said.

— Gareth Henderson

Call to action

Vermonters heard a call to action on Friday, as Gov. Phil Scott declared June 19, 2020, "Juneteenth Recognition Day." For the first time, the state officially commemorated the day slavery ended in 1865 when the Union Army freed 250,000 enslaved African Americans in Texas, over two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. 

The announcement came as the nation confronts the impact of systemic racism amid continued protests, following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer last month. At a press briefing on Friday, Scott said much work remains to be done, and the recognition of Juneteenth was an important step. 

"As we consider what we're seeing across the country right now, and the need to listen and learn about one another, and better understand the real legacy of racism in our country and institutions, I think it's fitting for us to celebrate this important event to better reflect on what it means to African Americans and to everyone who loves freedom and believes in the dignity of every life, and the American promise of equal rights and justice for all without exception," governor said.   

Xusana Davis, the state's executive director of racial equity, said it's especially important for white Vermonters to listen, learn and take action to help in this movement toward a more equitable society. 

"It is the moment of all white people in America and in Vermont, because it is your moment to act. It is perhaps more your moment than anyone else's," Davis said. “Because as people who wield outsized and often unearned power and privilege in our society, it’s especially important and necessary that you be the ones to exercise that privilege in a way that makes things more equitable for everyone.”  

She said turning self-education efforts into action is essential to changing the current situation.  

"It's important to listen and learn. ... And then , once you have listened, once you have learned, then you defer to the people who are impacted by this work, and then you act," Davis said. She noted there is an Action and Allyship Guide on the state's website, which offers ways to get involved in racial equity efforts.

State Rep. Kevin "Coach" Christie, chair of the Vermont Human Rights Commission, said as the state moves forward on efforts against racism, we must do the work  together. 

"Now is the time to reaffirm our commitment to the mitigation of systemic racism in Vermont," he said.

Christie said he knew it was difficult to understand how Vermonters of color are feeling on this day, and he offered an example from his own life. 

"I ask you to think about a fellow black or brown Vermonter, and I ask you to consider, when was the last time you were told, 'Go back to the jungle?' That's what my daughter was told at a school here in Vermont." 

Scott pointed out another act of racism, when someone vandalized a Black Lives Matter mural soon after its creation on State Street in Montpelier.

"We need to look no further than the vandalism on State Street last weekend, to remind us that racism and discrimination are still far too prevalent in America today and in Vermont," he said.  

Davis said moving toward action was the most important focus, not guilt for what you didn't know before. 

"It's not about the shame of not knowing, it's not about the hurt or discomfort from that history, it's about, 'What are we going to do with the knowledge today, so that we don't repeat that history?’" 

— Gareth Henderson