In one of Frederick Douglass’ most memorable speeches he says, “What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July?” We celebrate Independence Day every July 4 to mark the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It is a day of American pride with opportunities to pay our respects to those who fought for independence from Britain. The reality that Douglass brought up is that the 4th of July did not hold the same meaning and pride for American slaves because they weren’t free themselves.
Freedom for slaves came in waves. One of the first came January 1, 1863, when Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in southern rebel states. Juneteenth (also known as Emancipation Day and African American Freedom Day) marks the day over years later, June 19, 1865, when word of emancipation reached slaves in Galveston, Texas. Since then, the holiday has spread throughout the United States and serves as a time for African Americans to come together and celebrate their independence and culture.
Juneteenth is often marked by festivals, parades, community service, cookouts and other forms of Black joy. The atmosphere of Juneteenth is amazing to witness and a constant reminder of how Black people have used joy as a form of resistance even in the shadows of slavery. It marks emancipation and freedom and the beginnings of Reconstruction that helped move the community forward, even in the face of growing Jim Crow laws.
In addition to being a time of celebration, Juneteenth is a time to reflect on ways the effects of slavery have continued since the Emancipation Proclamation and ratification of the 13th Amendment. Slavery was abolished without providing protection for the rights of newly freed slaves, meaning states were free to create systems preventing African Americans and their descendants from becoming truly liberated.
Slavery was abolished, but racism led to Black codes and Jim Crow laws aimed at preventing Black people from prospering and gaining equality. These were direct responses to the passages of the Reconstruction amendments (the 13th, 14th, and 15th) that together abolished slavery, granted citizenship and equal protection to everyone born or naturalized in the United States, and secured the right to vote for Black men. As a result, some of the codes required Black people to get yearly work permits or risk punishment including arrest or forced labor. The codes also threatened the right to vote through poll taxes, intimidation tactics and literacy tests created to bar Black men from being able to safely exercise their right to vote. The codes varied by state and directly challenged the progress that African Americans had made with home ownership, access to education and reclaiming their right to pursue the lives that they wanted to live.
Juneteenth marks the shift from fighting for the freedom of slaves to fighting for the liberation of all Black people. The fight for Black liberation, access to a healthy outdoors and environmental justice have always been connected. The placement of hazardous waste sites and pollution-causing industry in Black neighborhoods is a direct result of structural racism and historical housing discrimination. The same systems that allowed Jim Crow laws in the south also allowed redlining practices that pushed Black families into industrial, urban centers by denying mortgages in the growing, predominately white suburbs.
After-effects of these redlining practices can be found at the core of many environmental justice issues relating to access to important resources and proximity to harmful facilities. Liberation for environmental justice communities would mean updated and greener infrastructure to make neighborhoods safer. It would mean investments in schools and community centers to ensure the success of underserved communities. Most importantly, it would mean a more aggressive strategy to address legacy toxins and provide neighborhoods a say in what industries are located near their homes.
Every year Juneteenth reminds us there is always work to be done to ensure the liberation of Black folks in the USA. It allows us to celebrate those who have fought for our right to live and experience love and joy and motivates us to continue to demand liberation for communities still struggling with the legacies of slavery.
Here in Delaware, the holiday has been recognized in several ways throughout the state. Gov. Carney closed state offices; Delaware State University and University of Delaware have as well. There are plenty of opportunities to get engaged this weekend! Looking for ways to celebrate in Delaware? Check out these Juneteenth events and look around your community for more!
Juneteenth Celebration in the Park, 10:30 a.m., Christina Park
Delaware Celebration Route with Urban Bike Project and Delaware Greenways, New Castle to Wilmington
Richard Allen School Coalition’s Why We Celebrate, Georgetown
Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce Celebration of Juneteenth, Middletown
For more events and information visit https://delawarejuneteenth.org/
Marissa McClenton is a Delaware Nature Society Advocacy Team member for grassroots organizing, clean water, and environmental justice.
