As local celebrations near, Juneteenth becomes national holiday
When Juneteenth celebrations begin on Saturday across the U.S., including in Hartford, Vermont, they’ll be taking place on a new national holiday that was just signed into law.
(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
Expanding broadband: A must for equity
With the end of the pandemic more firmly in view, a stubborn economic and education equity issue still looms large and is gaining more of the spotlight.
A winter scene along Wyman Lane in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
With the end of the pandemic more firmly in view, a stubborn economic and education equity issue still looms large and is gaining more of the spotlight.
Over the past year, inequities in high-speed broadband access — both geographically and economically — have been laid bare due to increased need for remote learning and telehealth services. Moreover, the path to more broadband is also a path to more jobs and sustainable, long-term economic development.
At the federal level, the new $1.9 trillion relief bill aims to help expand high-speed broadband in multiple states — Vermont has $113 million coming for infrastructure aid, including broadband.
State legislative efforts are becoming prolific in regions from New England to the South and the rural West. A broadband bill is working its way through the Vermont House of Representatives, with a focus on supporting the growth of communications union districts, like ECFiber, which has greatly improved high-speed broadband access in the east-central Vermont region.
Vermont’s governor, lieutenant governor and state lawmakers have repeatedly noted the broadband issue, the current gap and the need to address it. In a letter to state leaders last week, Vermont Lt. Gov. Molly Gray described the broad impact.
“For the roughly 66,000 Vermont homes and businesses without access to broadband, each day of the pandemic has been a day without equity in access to online learning, remote work, tele-health, mental health and support services, government resources, civic engagement and much more,” Gray said.
She also noted her support for a bill crafted by U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, of Vermont, which is now part of the $94 billion broadband package introduced by 30 House and Senate Democrats on Thursday. Welch’s focus was providing access to “unserved and underserved households”, and he also set aside some funding specifically for small states.
“The digital divide is real and has only widened since the start of the COVID pandemic,” Welch said in a statement last week. “There is no disputing that fast, reliable broadband service is essential in our modern economy. After a year of remote schooling, online medical appointments, and family Zoom calls, the need for high-speed internet for all Americans is even more clear.”
Welch is a member of the Broadband Task Force led by House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, of South Carolina, a key author of the $94 billion plan. Clyburn highlighted broadband as a long-term economic need.
“We’re not going to grow the economy in our communities all across the country without broadband,” he told The Washington Post. “The investments we’re making in this, and the build-out over three to four years, makes this one of the best infrastructure efforts we can undertake today.”
Though it was the pandemic that thrust broadband into the spotlight more than ever, the growing need for this service extends beyond the current crisis. The future of economic development hinges on it, as does access to education. Online learning will change, develop, and expand in the coming years, from the younger grades through college. Telehealth will grow, and connecting to high-speed internet is a clear must-have for businesses.
Decades ago, the country reached a point where having multiple regions underserved — or untouched — by electrical utilities was simply no longer an option. Broadband is at that point, and the federal funding and legislative efforts at the state level are encouraging. Hopefully, new dollars and new programs can be deployed for everyone’s benefit, especially for those most in need. The great need for broadband access is one lesson from the pandemic that is having an impact on decision-makers. The need has been expressed, not forgotten, and is attracting legislation. That makes it an important moment for the country, and it’s crucial to keep that momentum going.
Along the way, people may disagree on how to best achieve the goal. But with the renewed focus and steadfast work on this issue, we can take decisive steps to increase access. It appears progress is on the horizon, and broadband is an essential gateway to resources and opportunities — ones that each community needs and deserves.
— Gareth Henderson