Let's Make Juneteenth a Day OFF Not a Day ON for Black People
It should be a day when Black people get to relax and celebrate, not educate the country on racism.
This whole article is about the need for Black people to rest. One of the ways you can help me build a sustainable life is by financially supporting this publication. Will you help me celebrate this Juneteenth by becoming a paid subscriber today?
Typically when a holiday that has anything to do with Black history comes along, Black people have to do more work.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day? It’s time to give the speeches, preach the sermon, organize the parade, post the articles.
Black History Month? Four weeks straight of unearthing obscure facts about the contributions Black people have made to this nation and publicizing them in the hopes that awareness will bring empathy.
Any significant anniversary—the Tulsa Race Massacre, Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat, Selma—Black people have to do more labor to educate and raise awareness.
I’m an educator at heart. I’m a professor of history. I write books and articles. I speak about racial justice. So I appreciate the chance to share more about the history and experiences of my people.
It’s just that for at least one Black-focused holiday, Black people should actually get a day off instead of a day on.
Juneteenth may be the perfect holiday for Black people to take the day off. Historically, it has been celebrated by Black communities as an occasion for exuberance.
In my forthcoming book, The Spirit of Justice, I write about the first “watch night” services where long months of anticipation culminated in elation.
Frederick Douglass, the most well-known abolitionist of his day, joined with hundreds of others at Tremont Temple in Boston on New Year’s Eve waiting for the Emancipation Proclamation to go into effect on January 1, 1863.
“Every moment of waiting chilled our hopes…Eight, nine, ten o’clock came and went, and still no word.”
Then, finally, a messenger elbowed his way through the throng, and confirmed the news. Emancipation had come. Jubilee!
Black people ran into the streets. Shouting ensued. Strangers embraced. Tears flowed. Knees bent in thankful prayer.
Even two years later, when news finally reached the Black people in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, the reaction was the same. Joy. Jubilation. Freedom.
Black people today should carry on the spirit of the earliest Juneteenth celebrations and actually…celebrate.
I think we can honor the true intent of Juneteenth, a day to revel in Black freedom, in at least three ways.
First, white people can educate themselves and other white people.
Much of the labor Black people feel compelled to do on holidays such as Juneteenth is teaching white people about Black people. This is an important task, and no one is better equipped for it than Black people, but there’s also this thing called the internet. And we still have books (if they haven’t been banned in your area). And museums, and art installations, and so much more.
I get that you want to hear from Black people on a holiday we created, but let’s get creative about timing.
If you invite me to speak for Juneteenth, I’d be happy to do it. But can we pre-record it and schedule it to air on Juneteenth?
If we plan with Black people’s rest in mind, when the actual day of Juneteenth comes, Black folks can kick back and enjoy it.
Second, people nationwide can invest in Black individuals and organizations to ensure our ability to pursue and extend freedom.
As significant as emancipation was, Black people still have not achieved full equality or equity in our society. The work of emancipation remains unfinished.
Many of us have dedicated our lives, careers, and precious discretionary time to the ongoing work of racial justice. But this work is costly.
One major legacy of slavery is the racial wealth gap that persists to this day. So, part of why Black people work on days ostensibly set aside for rest is that so many of us still live in a financially precarious position.
We have to use holidays as occasions to raise money for our nonprofit, gain exposure for our business, or get a paying engagement so we can break cycles of generational poverty.
What if folks who truly appreciate Black liberation contributed to the freedom by donating to Black individuals and organizations that are leading on the journey toward racial justice?
Don’t just lurk online and learn from Black people. Make a tangible contribution to support our work.
It doesn’t even have to be attached to a product or service. You can Ca$hApp someone as a thank you just for existing.
If you can’t make the money thing work, share a link to their work—books, blogs, online shop, podcasts, etc.—and let others know.
Shout them out on social media and encourage others to follow.
Written words can be endlessly meaningful. An email or actual letter to let someone know how they have positively influence your life is still being a good neighbor.
Third, Black people, we have to plan ahead to make sure we have a real day off.
Even though Juneteenth is a federal holiday and lots of businesses shut down, that doesn’t automatically mean that Black people will rest. We have so many community events, educational obligations, and perhaps even travel to do that Juneteenth can easily become a very busy day.
We have to look ahead to make room for rest. I haven’t done this the past two years that Juneteenth has been a federal holiday, so the day has come and gone leaving me more exhausted than before.
No one will give us the day off. We have to take it.
Juneteenth should have been a national moment of remembrance, memorial, and celebration for generations. Black people have known this, and we’ve taken it upon ourselves to celebrate our liberation.
Now that Juneteenth is a national holiday, we have the opportunity, while it is still a new tradition, to make sure that we keep it a day of delight and rejuvenation.
We should celebrate. Throw a party. Have a picnic. Watch your favorite movie. Express joy in whatever way feels appropriate.
But on Juneteenth, remember that emancipation was about freedom from exploitative labor. Let’s not shackle ourselves to work when we have a day set aside for rest.
Learn more with this teach-in I did. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and share this video!
I completely agree! I've made it a point to schedule that day off to enjoy and support as many Black businesses that I can.