Historian Explains Why All Americans Should Celebrate Juneteenth | 22 Words

A historian has spoken out about "Juneteenth" and why all Americans should be celebrating this historical date...

Juneteenth is not celebrated enough in our country...

via: Getty Images

 And a historian has explained why in the best possible way. But firstly, let's recap a few things...

The Black Lives Matter movement has taken over the world...

via: Getty

 Since the death of George Floyd, protests for the movement have been happening across the globe in volumes we've never seen before.

Racially motivated police brutality has been happening for centuries now...

via: Getty

 But George's death has sparked an outrage like never before.

Thousands upon thousands of people have been taking to the streets in protest...

via: Getty

 And they are all marching for one thing: For the blatant racism and injustice in this country to be brought to an end.

Many protests turned violent...

But change needs to happen and, at the moment, this seems like the only way to make it happen.

Remarkably, however, they seem to be working.

Thanks to these riots, the Black Lives Matter movement is dominating global headlines, and it has completely taken over social media.

It has also taken over our streets...

For instance, a group of people painted large yellow letters saying "Black Lives Matter" down two blocks of 16th Street in D.C - a two-lane road that coincidentally leads to the White House.

Protests have been happening across the pond too...

Hundreds of thousands of people have been taking to the streets in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

We are witnessing history in the making...

via: Getty

 And people are continuing to demand justice.

But what about what's already written in history books?

via: Getty

 In school, we were all taught about our country's rich history... but it turns out that we are all completely oblivious to some very important facts in regard to the black community and slavery.

We're all well aware of the history America has with slavery...

via: Getty

 And when children are taught about it in school, they're more than often told it ended with Abraham Lincoln’s signature on the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863.

But this didn't mean slavery was over.

via: Getty

 As late as June 19, 1865, enslaved people in Texas were still held in bondage, and on that date, federal troops entered the state and began to punish slaveholders and former Confederates who refused to obey the law.

This date became known as "Juneteenth."

"Juneteenth is a deeply emotional moment for enslaved people," historian Karlos K. Hill, of the University of Oklahoma, said.

In Texas and across the country, emancipated African Americans began celebrating annually, with parades, concerts, and picnics.

"Being able to go wherever they want and being able to wander about; for enslaved people, it was an expression of their freedom," Hill explained. "Formerly enslaved people celebrating, in public, their newfound freedom, was an act of resistance."

However, by the time 1877 had come around, the federal government had largely abandoned the south.

via: Getty

 The lynching era — when hundreds of African Americans were brutally killed by white mobs each year across the North and the South — began soon after.

It is so important for people of our country to be aware of these brutal occurrences...

And it demonstrates highly were some of the disgusting attitudes towards black people come from.

Even though Juneteenth is not a national holiday...

It is still celebrated by many people across the country, and it is usually dubbed as "Independence Day for the black community."

Activists continue to campaign for the United States Congress to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday...

And even though it is recognized as a state holiday across the majority of the country, it's importance needs to be acknowledged.

Hill is one of those who believes that Juneteenth should be celebrated on a wider level...

via: Getty

 He said that commemorating Juneteenth is important for all Americans because it helps us see all the ways that slavery still shapes this country, including, as he says, "the desire to master and dominate black bodies."

Juneteeth is all about the freedom of black people...

via: Getty

 But if the racism that they face on a daily basis is never dealt with properly and the people responsible aren't held accountable, how on earth are they considered to be free?

People like Karlos Hill are pressing for Juneteenth to be celebrated by everyone in America...

This marks such an important time in the history of not only our country but also of the African American community - let's make it happen.