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Juneteenth: How did White America Celebrate. Juneteenth: A Day for inclusion [1]

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Date: 2023-06-19

It’s Juneteenth: How Many White People Noticed?

Juneteenth is not just a Black Holiday. It can’t be. We can’t have one federal holiday that includes only one group of people. Will Latino’s, Asains demand a day? Will St. Patrick’s Day become a Federal Holiday? How about October 28, the day Constantine defeated Maxentius ensuring the survival and spread of Christianity?

Truth is Juneteenth is not just the day slavery ended, it’s not just Black Independence Day. Juneteenth is the day our nation became whole again, insuring we would have what it takes to defeat Germany in WWI and WWII. Juneteenth enabled us as a nation to win the atomic race and the space race.

While I can understand why Blacks see little significance in July 4th, we must remember, that was then, and this is now. Immigrants coming to our country learn to celebrate our Holidays. So must all Americans. Blacks can demonstrate their freedom as Americans, their wholeness of American identity by celebrating our nation’s independence on July 4. I hope and I believe today; the grand children of Medgar Evers can sit together at the table of brotherhood with the grandchildren of George Wallace. All children today should celebrate both July 4, and June 19.

Juneteenth is a day all Americans can celebrate. The Civil War ended. Many Whites died or were wounded in that war so other men could be free. Joshua Chamberlain said practically those exact words encouraging his men to withstand an assault at Gettysburg where they were outnumbered almost 3-1. The Flag was shredded just as Qanon and Donald Trump are doing to the USA today, and yet that flag was made whole again, as we will do by celebrating our holiday’s together. While Memorial Day was created to honor these men, Memorial Day has become a day to honor those who fell in all of our wars in the cause of American Freedom. That includes the Blacks who fell in our war for Independence against Great Britain. It includes Blacks who have fought and fell in support of our flag in every war America has been in.

It's OK to have a Holiday that means different things to different people, and I don’t expect many in the South will soon embrace Juneteenth. Heck, being led by Marjorie Taylor Greene, they are still today trying to secede. They will not be won over by Black America honoring a holiday White America cannot participate in. As a matter of fact, it only strengthens their cause.

And yes, the cause of racial justice remains an issue: And we must protest it when we see it, and we must celebrate our victories on June 19. There were White Freedom Riders, White volunteers to seeking to expand the vote in Mississippi. June 19 is a day to celebrate all those who have who, marched, rode, and collected signatures so this country could deliver on its promissory note to all Americans. Today, we do not look at one race of Americans and judge them by the content of their character, we look at all Americans and judge them by the content of their character. Some don’t have the necessary content to celebrate June 19, but for those of us who do, we must.

Juneteenth is a day we can celebrate because without it WWI likely would have turned out differently. The Holocaust in WWII would not only have endured, it would have expanded beyond Jews and Gypsies. Hitler sought a master race. Few would have survived his designs. Indeed, if there is a date more important to our survival than June 19, I am unaware of what date that would be.

I ask all of America to celebrate Juneteenth. It is a day we celebrate all men and all women are free to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/6/19/2176421/-Juneteenth-How-did-White-America-Celebrate-Juneteenth-A-Day-for-inclusion

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