Juneteenth: Celebration and dialogue

By Myra J. Bobo-Pickens

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It is important for all Americans to celebrate Juneteenth.

Juneteenth commemorates the official ending of slavery in the United States. Slavery had a negative impact on all Americans, not just blacks. The celebration of Juneteenth is a commemorative victory to all skin-colors who fought to end slavery in America; their efforts should not go unnoticed.

During the dark days of slavery, blacks and whites formed an abolition (anti-slavery) movement. They fought and died together to force an end to slavery. Juneteenth celebrates the risks taken by abolitionists such as Abby Kelly Foster, Stephen Symonds Foster, Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Sarah Parker Remond and many others. They stood shoulder to shoulder and were relentless in their efforts to end slavery. Juneteenth celebrates their lesson of cooperation, and it must never be forgotten.

The celebration of Juneteenth is just as important as celebrating the Fourth of July - this gives us another opportunity to celebrate freedom. America has a history of fighting against injustice, from the fight for freedom from British rule to righting the wrong of slavery through the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation.

Juneteenth offers an excellent opportunity to speak with children about what freedom means to them. We as a nation must embrace the transgressions of our past, celebrate freedom, and educate new generations so that they are better equipped to recognize and tackle issues of inequalities and violations of civil rights. The celebration of Juneteenth can start a healthy dialogue about the negative effects of slavery and the cooperative effort it took to end it.

We can only imagine the jubilation felt on June 19, 1865, as word reached the last of the enslaved in Galveston, Texas, that they were free. Today, the celebration of Juneteenth features food, music, fun, family activities, self-improvement and education reaching a diverse community, encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures.

As President Bill Clinton said in his second Inaugural Address on Jan, 20, 1997, “the challenge of our past remains the challenge of our future: Will we be one nation, one people, with one common destiny - or not? Will we all come together, or come apart?”

Celebrate the past, present, future and freedom. Celebrate Juneteenth.

Myra J. Bobo-Pickens, the marketing chair of the 2012 Cedar Rapids Juneteenth committee., is the Resource Manager/Executive and Technical Recruiter at Infinite Computing Systems. Comments: blacklegacy

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