June 16, 2021 • 24 mins
Host Ibram X. Kendi expounds the history and legacy of Juneteenth, and what the day means to him. He passes the mic to Annette Gordon-Reed, Heather McGhee, Adam Serwer, Tiya Miles and Maurice Carlos Ruffin, who share how this day in American history shows up in their lives. Plus: the Be Antiracist team hits the streets of New York to check in with the community on how they’re celebrating the holiday.
For more episodes of Be Antiracist, visit pushkin.fm/show/be-antiracist-ibram-kendi
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Pushkin. On January first, eighteen sixty three, President Abraham Lincoln
issued the Emancipation Proclamation as a fit and necessary war
measure to limit the Confederacy's use of enslaved people during
the Civil War. Though the Song of Emancipation spread across
(00:37):
the country, the Emancipation Proclamation didn't actually free all of
the enslaved Black men, women, and children in rebel held territories.
In most cases, enslaved people had to emancipate themselves, running
away from plantations to Union armies. In other cases, enslavers
(00:57):
hid the Emancipation Proclamation from the enslaved. In the Confederate
state of Texas, enslaved people did not hear the Song
of Emancipation until two and a half years later. On
June nineteenth, eighteen sixty five, Union soldiers marched into Galveston, Texas,
(01:18):
armed with the news that the Civil War was over
and the slavery that brutally subjugated roughly two hundred and
fifty thousand Black people in Texas was over too. I'm
ebramex Kendy and this is the be Anti Racist Juneteenth mixtape.
(01:39):
The day that those soldiers marched into Galveston, Texas became
known as Juneteenth. This holiday has been recognized and celebrated
in black homes, schools, families, and communities ever since. In
recent years, America's enduring, deep rooted racism and the uprisings
and movements to combat it have ushered the recognition of
(02:01):
Juneteenth into the national consciousness. In twenty twenty, we saw celebrations, lectures,
events in social media campaigns held to commemorate America's other
independence day and the abolition of slavery. And in twenty
twenty one, over one hundred and fifty years after the
Emancipation Proclamation was finally enacted in Texas, we celebrate Juneteenth
(02:26):
once more. But it is critically important to distinguish between
abolishing slavery and freeing people. In eighteen sixty five, black
people throughout the South implored Union officials to not abolish
slavery in a way that would leave them landless and disenfranchise.
(02:46):
Yet they were left without land in an agricultural society
and told they were free. My ancestors asked not to
be forced to work for their former masters, Yet many
found themselves toiling and being terrorized in the same fields
as supposedly free men and women. They asked that the
law and the sheriff not replace the master in the whip.
(03:11):
My ancestors were not truly free if they were still
subjugated by racism, and their descendants and our allies have
been engaged in the freedom struggle against racism ever since.
It is important to reflect on what we are celebrating
when we celebrate Juneteenth this year and every year. We
(03:31):
are celebrating the freedom struggle against slavery before and during
the Civil War. We are celebrating the freedom struggle to
abolish racism since the Civil War. We are celebrating the
black freedom struggle. We are celebrating the old and new
fights to be free. That is what Juneteenth means to me.
(03:56):
For this Juneteenth Mixtape, we wanted to find out what
Juneteenth means to you and to our community. We reached
out to leading voices in numinaries and hit the streets
of New York to find out. Here's what we learned. Hello,
do you mind if I actually a couple of questions
about Juneteenth? Sure? My name is Ashley Atopaie. I'm from Bowie, Maryland.
(04:22):
When would you say you first became aware of the
term Juneteenth I believe it was at some point in college.
I believe there was a campus event happening honoring the holiday,
and that was probably the first time I read up
on the history of the day. Do you think that
most Americans are aware of Juneteenth? I think most Black
(04:43):
Americans have been aware. I would say those from other
races probably weren't as aware until last year due to
the uprising of Black Lives Matter movement Saint George Floyd.
So because of that timeline, I think last June was
when a lot of people for the first time, we're
knowing the history of that day and how much it
(05:04):
means to African Americans in the US. Would you say,
j there's a holiday that matters to you. Yeah, it
definitely matters to me. I think it's a day for
our community to reflect and honor the history of our people,
of the African American people in this country. I think
it's a combination of a day of celebration, celebrating where
(05:28):
we are and the strides we've made in what freedom
looks like in some aspects, and on the flip side
of that coin, thinking about the ways our freedoms have
not yet manifested and the battles that we're still fighting
as a race in this country and in other countries
where racism has manifested in very awful ways. So I think,
(05:53):
you know, for the most part, I love personally like
celebrating the day and getting together with my community locally
and online and just spreading awareness of you know, how
far we've come, but what issues need to be shed
light on. I live in best eyes, so I'm sure
there will be a bunch of events happening and I
plan on coming out being in the community. Great. Well,
(06:17):
there you, great time. Hi. My name is Annette Gordon Reid.
I'm the Carl M. Loebe University Professor at Harvard University.
I first learned about June tenth as a child because
I was born in Texas and my family has lived
in Texas for many generations. I grew up celebrating the
(06:38):
day drinking far too much red soda water, eating too
much barbecue, throwing firecrackers with my friends, and having an
all around good time. But as I grew older, I
came to understand from listening to my grandparents and my
great grandmother, who lived until I was eleven, about how
important the day was to think about the former enslaved
(07:02):
people who learned on June nineteenth, eighteen sixty five that
slavery was over in Texas. Day should be marked by
joy and celebration, but also about remembrance. It's a day
for family too. That's the thing that I took away
from those celebrations in Livingston, Texas and Cone, Texas with
(07:24):
my family gathering people together, and how important that was
for people who had lived many, many years under the
shadow of family displacement and sale as they retreated as
items of property. So Juneteenth to me is a day
of fun, it's a day of remembrance, and it's a
(07:45):
day for family. And what I plan to do is
talk to people about Juneteenth and have some red soda
water and have some barbecue brisket. I'm known in the
parks as hook Shot me Dean Street Park. When would
you say you first became aware of the term June teenth? Oh?
(08:06):
About a week ago? Really? Yeah, what happened? What was
that conversation? Like? Actually, I've seen it on the news.
What do you think June tenth means to Black Americans? Well,
it means the struggle is not over. I guess it
is a part of awareness to the young black brothers
(08:27):
and sisters now when I'm from the Black Panther era right,
which it was something totally different, right, But I'm glad
to see that they are talking about being black and
what blacks are all about, you know. But to me,
it's just another day. There's another day the neighborhood. It's
(08:49):
more about not just celebrating June teeth, but it's about
being involved, contributing, getting out there and raising your voice.
But I'm glad to see that something is being set.
You know, it's time. You know, we've been sitting back
for a couple of years now, since I say, the
(09:12):
late eighties. We've been relaxed, you know what I'm saying.
And because we relax they're taking advantage. Now you see
the Republican Party. It's school class klan, point blank. They
didn't go away. They just found another home. And you said,
what was her name? They called you? What's your name? Again?
(09:32):
Her name is the hook shot me. How'd you get back?
Because I got a chechleis hook shot from anyway on
Court and Dan Street Park. I'm also referred to as
the goat. To know, I'll take it. I appreciate that
thank you very much. I enjoyed that. I'm Tire Miles,
(09:53):
and I'm a professor of history at Harvard University, a mom,
and the author, most recently of all that she carried
the journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family keeps Sake.
I first became the warner of She tenth when I
was a little girl, and I can't even remember now
how old I was. What I do recall, what does
(10:19):
come to mind are images of my mother taking me
to beautiful green city parks along the Ohio River, live
music vendors, really good food. I recall being able to
sometimes get a T shirt or necklace, and being able
(10:40):
to always get a pop sickle or an orange pop
or a red pop. I remember my mother dancing on
the grass and my feeling of happiness and pleasure at
seeing her express herself so freely and feeling so comfortable
in that community space. Juneteenth for America should be a
(11:04):
memory marker. It should remind us all of the many
dinner rations that Africans and African descended people spent in captivity.
It would remind us of the radical change that was
necessary to end that period of American history, and also
(11:25):
of the continuing abuses that African Americans experienced, including not
being told that they were free at the time that
they were actually freed. Juneteenth also represents African American creativity,
I think, and we see that creativity in the word itself.
(11:51):
For me, Juneteenth means family, it means community, It means
a space of pause and respite. And this Juneteenth, my
family and I are going to be barbecuing in our
yard and spending some time on a Google hangout with
other family members who are far away from us in
(12:12):
states across the country. My name is Amari Smith. And
where are you? Originally from? Red Star, Brooklyn? Since ninety seven,
same house, same everything. So what can you tell us
about Juneteenth? Um? I just know that we should just
give money from that day and we should be off
period that's today, like slaves were freed, right, Yeah, yeah,
(12:36):
I know it's like something with slavery. But I don't
know the like the whole story about it because you
never really learned about that should in school anyway. Do
you remember when you first became familiar with the term? Um?
Last year actually really sad just because of everything that
was going on. Everything that was going on, and like
(12:56):
my job said that we will have next Juneteenth or
so that was kind of cool. Hi. What's your name,
Sophie and where are you? Originally from? Harlem Teeth? Is
the real independence day when the slaves were freed us?
I don't think that people really pay attention to it much,
(13:20):
or I think it's important. They're more focused on the
commercial stuff like July fourth and stuff like that, or
do you think it's the real independence day? I mean
because they free the slaves, and slaves are people, so
that's important. You know. I'm going to celebrate. I'm going
to wear my shirt, my Juneteenth shirt. I'm gonna invite
(13:42):
some friends over. We're gonna have some snacks. We're going
to read about some things to teach each other, because
I feel like a lot of us don't need to
educate ourselves. So that's what I'll be doing. I'm Maurice
Carlos Roughlan. I'm an author in a native of New Orleans, Louisiana.
(14:05):
I first became aware of Juneteenth in high school. I
think I was a freshman and I went to a
high school that had a sort of radical black educational agenda,
So they would tell us about activists and history and
the story behind so many other stories that were not
being told. So I'm pretty sure it was any number
(14:26):
of my teachers in different classes who brought it up
and told us what it was all about. I think
that June teen to America means a few different things.
I do think that maybe for mainstream America, people don't
think very much about it. But I think that for
African Americans and for people who are paying attention to
(14:48):
the American history and the American President, Juneteenth is a
time of reflection, it is a time of empowerment, and
it's a time of celebration as well. For me personally,
Juneteenth is very much about recognizing the beauty, the strength,
(15:09):
the intellect, and the creativity of my ancestors, and for
all the black folks in America who have pushed through
different eras of oppression to provide for their families, to
provide for themselves, and to provide for the country at large.
So many gifts, whether it be in terms of literature
(15:32):
or music or culture in society. For me, Juneteenth is
time to embrace all that and just feel bigger and stronger.
So this year, on Juneteenth, I'm asticly gonna be traveling.
I work as a creative writing teacher in different university programs,
(15:53):
and so I'll be going to a program in Virginia
that's actually one of the most diverse faculties I work
with in my life, and so I'm sure that while
I'm there, I'm going to be thinking very much about Juneteenth,
about how the love and the belief of my ancestors
allowed me to get my education, allowed me to sort
of lean into my own writing life and not be
somebody providing that teams of education to other people in
(16:16):
the world. So I'll be thinking about June teents very much,
and I'll be celebrating it certainly all day. Hi. My
name is Jermanei and I'm from Brooklyn, New York. Born
and raised Juneteenth. I'm familiar with the fact that not
all of us were free. Until all of us were free,
it was a national celebration that ensued, and to this
(16:39):
day we're still celebrating. We're not free from all of
the oppression that we faced as a community, but we
are free when as a whole diaspora and as a
whole culture, we can recognize the strides that we've made
to this point. When do you think you first became
aware of the term definitely during the pandemic is when
it was widespread and as a whole, we were celebrating
(17:01):
because of all of the stress and all of the
turmoil that we were put through. I knew about it before,
heard about it, but never really experience the joy of
being a part of it until you know, being in
spaces where we're all celebrating, not just being outside because
of a pandemic, but just the things that we're able
to accomplish in the midst of the pandemic, bringing social
(17:24):
awareness to our community issues, and also being able to
celebrate the things that we accomplish as artists, as activists,
as artivists as a whole. I think Juneteenth, for those
who aren't Black, it's accountability. I feel like it's really acknowledging, Hey,
we have not taken accountability for the stresses that we've
(17:46):
put on the Black community, and we need to and
we need to celebrate what the resiliency behind the Black
community is. To this day. Black people are so resilient
and they're so creative, and they just produce all of
the things that make this world go round. Like, as
a whole, I feel like Juneteenth to America is a
(18:09):
spot where we can recognize the faults in the system
but also celebrate how we were able to rise above that.
My name is Adam Serwer, and I'm a staff writer
with The Atlantic and the author of the forthcoming book
The Cruelty is the Point the past, present, and future
of Trump's America. I first learned about Juneteenth when I
was a kid in Washington, DC, and I think that
(18:31):
the holiday is complicated because it is a celebration of emancipation,
but it also symbolizes the reality that freedom and progress
are not inevitable, and that American history is often the
story of promises too long delayed. The fact that the
Thirteenth Amendment was not sufficient to abolish slavery throughout the South,
and that General Gordon Granger was compelled to enforce abolition
(18:52):
in Texas is a reminder of Frederick Douglas's maxim that
power concedes nothing without demand. I will be spending my
Juneteenth eating delicious barbecued meats with my family here in Texas,
where the first Juneteenth was celebrated. Hey, how you doing.
You have actually a couple of question about Juneteenth. Sure,
(19:12):
what's your name? R? J I'm from DC, Maryland area.
June tenth. I think I've known about June teen. Put
it this way, I knew about it before last year.
I have always knew that it represented the day in
which African Americans would fleeing from slavery. But I do
have to say that I fully learned what it was,
(19:34):
probably in twenty and twenty. Is there any particular way
in which you'll be celebrating Juneteenth this year or Well,
that's a good question, and actually that sparks the idea
I should celebrate it this year. We all should celebrate it.
But now I don't have any plans to celebrate it.
But now that you mentioned it, maybe now I do.
(19:55):
I do think it's crazy that people don't know what
Juneteenth Day is and that we don't celebrate it like
at all, because we celebrate a lot fourth and that's
what Independence Day was seventeen seventy six. No like African
Americans with slaves then, So I don't really know what
African Americans really have to celebrate about July fourth, because
we weren't invited to that party. You know, we didn't
(20:16):
enjoy the rights that they're celebrating, so to be honest,
I think Juneteenth should be the real Independence day. That's
if America is about freedom and justice for all and
rights for everybody. Technically that wasn't the case until eighteen
sixty five, so that to me sounds like more like
an independence day than July fourth. If you asked me,
(20:36):
my name is Heather McGee, and I'm the author of
the book The Sum of Us, What Racism Costs Everyone
and How we can prosper Together. On my book tour,
I was asked a question about Juneteenth. Some union activists
were trying to get a city council resolution making Juneteenth holiday,
(20:59):
and there was a white member of the city council,
a man who was opposed to the idea or hesitant
about it, and the avis asked me what advice I
would give for getting him to see Juneteenth is something
that would be worth celebrating. And I got quiet, and
(21:19):
I thought about this exercise of empathy that I've been
doing for the past number of years to try to
find a way to see a win win, a solidarity
dividend that we can unlock when we come together across
lines of race. I thought about how this man probably
thought about July fourth as a holiday that was something
(21:44):
he looked forward to, was the American Independence Day that
he'd always enjoyed. He'd always loved the barbecues. You know,
American workers don't get a lot of holidays, and we
only have one in the summer, and it often results
in a long weekend and family get togethers and grilled
(22:04):
hot dogs and fireworks. We don't celebrate a lot as
a people in this country. We don't give ourselves breaks
too often. And I thought maybe this white city council
member was seeing it through zero sum If Juneteenth is
a holiday, does that mean he has to lose the
(22:27):
holiday that he had grown up celebrating. I wonder if
he's wondering, does he have to lose July fourth? Does
he have to lose that Independence Day? And quite literally,
will this white man be invited to the cookout if
we begin to celebrate the true independence day, the day
(22:47):
in which all of our people became free, and the
day in which this country became free of the yoke
of slavery that was handed to us before our founding.
So it occurred to me that maybe when we talk
about Juneteenth, we should paint a picture of what it
looks like for everyone to celebrate, because the liberation of
(23:11):
enslaved people is as important to every single person living
in this land today as it is to any of us.
It is our collective liberation because racism has a cost
for everyone. So on the day of June nineteenth, every
single American should celebrate and recommit to the principles of
(23:38):
true freedom from the legacy of white supremacy, because truly
that will make us all free. How are you celebrating
Juneteenth this year? Tag us on Twitter at pushkin Pots
(23:59):
and let us Know Be Anti Racist is a production
of Pushing Industries and Our Heart Media. Juneteenth Mixtape was
written a host by doctor Ebram x Kindy and produced
by Britney Brown and Sasha Matthias with help from Alexandra
Garratton and Nicolemorano. It was mixed and mastered by Ben Talliday.
Our executive producers are Only Time Wild and Melo Bell.
(24:22):
Many thanks to Tammy Winn and doctor Heaven Sandford at
the Center for Anti Racist Research at Boston University. For
all of the health at Pushkin thanks to Heather Fame, Klimgleori,
John Schnarz, and Jacob Wiseberg. You can find doctor Kendy
on Twitter at d r Ebram and on Instagram at
ebram x K. You can find Pushkin on alsocial platforms
at pushkin pots, and you can sign up for our
(24:43):
newsletter at pushkin dot fm. To find more Pushkin podcast
listen on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or
whatever you'd like to listen
Pushkin. On January first, eighteen sixty three, President Abraham Lincoln
issued the Emancipation Proclamation as a fit and necessary war
measure to limit the Confederacy's use of enslaved people during
the Civil War. Though the Song of Emancipation spread across
(00:37):
the country, the Emancipation Proclamation didn't actually free all of
the enslaved Black men, women, and children in rebel held territories.
In most cases, enslaved people had to emancipate themselves, running
away from plantations to Union armies. In other cases, enslavers
(00:57):
hid the Emancipation Proclamation from the enslaved. In the Confederate
state of Texas, enslaved people did not hear the Song
of Emancipation until two and a half years later. On
June nineteenth, eighteen sixty five, Union soldiers marched into Galveston, Texas,
(01:18):
armed with the news that the Civil War was over
and the slavery that brutally subjugated roughly two hundred and
fifty thousand Black people in Texas was over too. I'm
ebramex Kendy and this is the be Anti Racist Juneteenth mixtape.
(01:39):
The day that those soldiers marched into Galveston, Texas became
known as Juneteenth. This holiday has been recognized and celebrated
in black homes, schools, families, and communities ever since. In
recent years, America's enduring, deep rooted racism and the uprisings
and movements to combat it have ushered the recognition of
(02:01):
Juneteenth into the national consciousness. In twenty twenty, we saw celebrations, lectures,
events in social media campaigns held to commemorate America's other
independence day and the abolition of slavery. And in twenty
twenty one, over one hundred and fifty years after the
Emancipation Proclamation was finally enacted in Texas, we celebrate Juneteenth
(02:26):
once more. But it is critically important to distinguish between
abolishing slavery and freeing people. In eighteen sixty five, black
people throughout the South implored Union officials to not abolish
slavery in a way that would leave them landless and disenfranchise.
(02:46):
Yet they were left without land in an agricultural society
and told they were free. My ancestors asked not to
be forced to work for their former masters, Yet many
found themselves toiling and being terrorized in the same fields
as supposedly free men and women. They asked that the
law and the sheriff not replace the master in the whip.
(03:11):
My ancestors were not truly free if they were still
subjugated by racism, and their descendants and our allies have
been engaged in the freedom struggle against racism ever since.
It is important to reflect on what we are celebrating
when we celebrate Juneteenth this year and every year. We
(03:31):
are celebrating the freedom struggle against slavery before and during
the Civil War. We are celebrating the freedom struggle to
abolish racism since the Civil War. We are celebrating the
black freedom struggle. We are celebrating the old and new
fights to be free. That is what Juneteenth means to me.
(03:56):
For this Juneteenth Mixtape, we wanted to find out what
Juneteenth means to you and to our community. We reached
out to leading voices in numinaries and hit the streets
of New York to find out. Here's what we learned. Hello,
do you mind if I actually a couple of questions
about Juneteenth? Sure? My name is Ashley Atopaie. I'm from Bowie, Maryland.
(04:22):
When would you say you first became aware of the
term Juneteenth I believe it was at some point in college.
I believe there was a campus event happening honoring the holiday,
and that was probably the first time I read up
on the history of the day. Do you think that
most Americans are aware of Juneteenth? I think most Black
(04:43):
Americans have been aware. I would say those from other
races probably weren't as aware until last year due to
the uprising of Black Lives Matter movement Saint George Floyd.
So because of that timeline, I think last June was
when a lot of people for the first time, we're
knowing the history of that day and how much it
(05:04):
means to African Americans in the US. Would you say,
j there's a holiday that matters to you. Yeah, it
definitely matters to me. I think it's a day for
our community to reflect and honor the history of our people,
of the African American people in this country. I think
it's a combination of a day of celebration, celebrating where
(05:28):
we are and the strides we've made in what freedom
looks like in some aspects, and on the flip side
of that coin, thinking about the ways our freedoms have
not yet manifested and the battles that we're still fighting
as a race in this country and in other countries
where racism has manifested in very awful ways. So I think,
(05:53):
you know, for the most part, I love personally like
celebrating the day and getting together with my community locally
and online and just spreading awareness of you know, how
far we've come, but what issues need to be shed
light on. I live in best eyes, so I'm sure
there will be a bunch of events happening and I
plan on coming out being in the community. Great. Well,
(06:17):
there you, great time. Hi. My name is Annette Gordon Reid.
I'm the Carl M. Loebe University Professor at Harvard University.
I first learned about June tenth as a child because
I was born in Texas and my family has lived
in Texas for many generations. I grew up celebrating the
(06:38):
day drinking far too much red soda water, eating too
much barbecue, throwing firecrackers with my friends, and having an
all around good time. But as I grew older, I
came to understand from listening to my grandparents and my
great grandmother, who lived until I was eleven, about how
important the day was to think about the former enslaved
(07:02):
people who learned on June nineteenth, eighteen sixty five that
slavery was over in Texas. Day should be marked by
joy and celebration, but also about remembrance. It's a day
for family too. That's the thing that I took away
from those celebrations in Livingston, Texas and Cone, Texas with
(07:24):
my family gathering people together, and how important that was
for people who had lived many, many years under the
shadow of family displacement and sale as they retreated as
items of property. So Juneteenth to me is a day
of fun, it's a day of remembrance, and it's a
(07:45):
day for family. And what I plan to do is
talk to people about Juneteenth and have some red soda
water and have some barbecue brisket. I'm known in the
parks as hook Shot me Dean Street Park. When would
you say you first became aware of the term June teenth? Oh?
(08:06):
About a week ago? Really? Yeah, what happened? What was
that conversation? Like? Actually, I've seen it on the news.
What do you think June tenth means to Black Americans? Well,
it means the struggle is not over. I guess it
is a part of awareness to the young black brothers
(08:27):
and sisters now when I'm from the Black Panther era right,
which it was something totally different, right, But I'm glad
to see that they are talking about being black and
what blacks are all about, you know. But to me,
it's just another day. There's another day the neighborhood. It's
(08:49):
more about not just celebrating June teeth, but it's about
being involved, contributing, getting out there and raising your voice.
But I'm glad to see that something is being set.
You know, it's time. You know, we've been sitting back
for a couple of years now, since I say, the
(09:12):
late eighties. We've been relaxed, you know what I'm saying.
And because we relax they're taking advantage. Now you see
the Republican Party. It's school class klan, point blank. They
didn't go away. They just found another home. And you said,
what was her name? They called you? What's your name? Again?
(09:32):
Her name is the hook shot me. How'd you get back?
Because I got a chechleis hook shot from anyway on
Court and Dan Street Park. I'm also referred to as
the goat. To know, I'll take it. I appreciate that
thank you very much. I enjoyed that. I'm Tire Miles,
(09:53):
and I'm a professor of history at Harvard University, a mom,
and the author, most recently of all that she carried
the journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family keeps Sake.
I first became the warner of She tenth when I
was a little girl, and I can't even remember now
how old I was. What I do recall, what does
(10:19):
come to mind are images of my mother taking me
to beautiful green city parks along the Ohio River, live
music vendors, really good food. I recall being able to
sometimes get a T shirt or necklace, and being able
(10:40):
to always get a pop sickle or an orange pop
or a red pop. I remember my mother dancing on
the grass and my feeling of happiness and pleasure at
seeing her express herself so freely and feeling so comfortable
in that community space. Juneteenth for America should be a
(11:04):
memory marker. It should remind us all of the many
dinner rations that Africans and African descended people spent in captivity.
It would remind us of the radical change that was
necessary to end that period of American history, and also
(11:25):
of the continuing abuses that African Americans experienced, including not
being told that they were free at the time that
they were actually freed. Juneteenth also represents African American creativity,
I think, and we see that creativity in the word itself.
(11:51):
For me, Juneteenth means family, it means community, It means
a space of pause and respite. And this Juneteenth, my
family and I are going to be barbecuing in our
yard and spending some time on a Google hangout with
other family members who are far away from us in
(12:12):
states across the country. My name is Amari Smith. And
where are you? Originally from? Red Star, Brooklyn? Since ninety seven,
same house, same everything. So what can you tell us
about Juneteenth? Um? I just know that we should just
give money from that day and we should be off
period that's today, like slaves were freed, right, Yeah, yeah,
(12:36):
I know it's like something with slavery. But I don't
know the like the whole story about it because you
never really learned about that should in school anyway. Do
you remember when you first became familiar with the term? Um?
Last year actually really sad just because of everything that
was going on. Everything that was going on, and like
(12:56):
my job said that we will have next Juneteenth or
so that was kind of cool. Hi. What's your name,
Sophie and where are you? Originally from? Harlem Teeth? Is
the real independence day when the slaves were freed us?
I don't think that people really pay attention to it much,
(13:20):
or I think it's important. They're more focused on the
commercial stuff like July fourth and stuff like that, or
do you think it's the real independence day? I mean
because they free the slaves, and slaves are people, so
that's important. You know. I'm going to celebrate. I'm going
to wear my shirt, my Juneteenth shirt. I'm gonna invite
(13:42):
some friends over. We're gonna have some snacks. We're going
to read about some things to teach each other, because
I feel like a lot of us don't need to
educate ourselves. So that's what I'll be doing. I'm Maurice
Carlos Roughlan. I'm an author in a native of New Orleans, Louisiana.
(14:05):
I first became aware of Juneteenth in high school. I
think I was a freshman and I went to a
high school that had a sort of radical black educational agenda,
So they would tell us about activists and history and
the story behind so many other stories that were not
being told. So I'm pretty sure it was any number
(14:26):
of my teachers in different classes who brought it up
and told us what it was all about. I think
that June teen to America means a few different things.
I do think that maybe for mainstream America, people don't
think very much about it. But I think that for
African Americans and for people who are paying attention to
(14:48):
the American history and the American President, Juneteenth is a
time of reflection, it is a time of empowerment, and
it's a time of celebration as well. For me personally,
Juneteenth is very much about recognizing the beauty, the strength,
(15:09):
the intellect, and the creativity of my ancestors, and for
all the black folks in America who have pushed through
different eras of oppression to provide for their families, to
provide for themselves, and to provide for the country at large.
So many gifts, whether it be in terms of literature
(15:32):
or music or culture in society. For me, Juneteenth is
time to embrace all that and just feel bigger and stronger.
So this year, on Juneteenth, I'm asticly gonna be traveling.
I work as a creative writing teacher in different university programs,
(15:53):
and so I'll be going to a program in Virginia
that's actually one of the most diverse faculties I work
with in my life, and so I'm sure that while
I'm there, I'm going to be thinking very much about Juneteenth,
about how the love and the belief of my ancestors
allowed me to get my education, allowed me to sort
of lean into my own writing life and not be
somebody providing that teams of education to other people in
(16:16):
the world. So I'll be thinking about June teents very much,
and I'll be celebrating it certainly all day. Hi. My
name is Jermanei and I'm from Brooklyn, New York. Born
and raised Juneteenth. I'm familiar with the fact that not
all of us were free. Until all of us were free,
it was a national celebration that ensued, and to this
(16:39):
day we're still celebrating. We're not free from all of
the oppression that we faced as a community, but we
are free when as a whole diaspora and as a
whole culture, we can recognize the strides that we've made
to this point. When do you think you first became
aware of the term definitely during the pandemic is when
it was widespread and as a whole, we were celebrating
(17:01):
because of all of the stress and all of the
turmoil that we were put through. I knew about it before,
heard about it, but never really experience the joy of
being a part of it until you know, being in
spaces where we're all celebrating, not just being outside because
of a pandemic, but just the things that we're able
to accomplish in the midst of the pandemic, bringing social
(17:24):
awareness to our community issues, and also being able to
celebrate the things that we accomplish as artists, as activists,
as artivists as a whole. I think Juneteenth, for those
who aren't Black, it's accountability. I feel like it's really acknowledging, Hey,
we have not taken accountability for the stresses that we've
(17:46):
put on the Black community, and we need to and
we need to celebrate what the resiliency behind the Black
community is. To this day. Black people are so resilient
and they're so creative, and they just produce all of
the things that make this world go round. Like, as
a whole, I feel like Juneteenth to America is a
(18:09):
spot where we can recognize the faults in the system
but also celebrate how we were able to rise above that.
My name is Adam Serwer, and I'm a staff writer
with The Atlantic and the author of the forthcoming book
The Cruelty is the Point the past, present, and future
of Trump's America. I first learned about Juneteenth when I
was a kid in Washington, DC, and I think that
(18:31):
the holiday is complicated because it is a celebration of emancipation,
but it also symbolizes the reality that freedom and progress
are not inevitable, and that American history is often the
story of promises too long delayed. The fact that the
Thirteenth Amendment was not sufficient to abolish slavery throughout the South,
and that General Gordon Granger was compelled to enforce abolition
(18:52):
in Texas is a reminder of Frederick Douglas's maxim that
power concedes nothing without demand. I will be spending my
Juneteenth eating delicious barbecued meats with my family here in Texas,
where the first Juneteenth was celebrated. Hey, how you doing.
You have actually a couple of question about Juneteenth. Sure,
(19:12):
what's your name? R? J I'm from DC, Maryland area.
June tenth. I think I've known about June teen. Put
it this way, I knew about it before last year.
I have always knew that it represented the day in
which African Americans would fleeing from slavery. But I do
have to say that I fully learned what it was,
(19:34):
probably in twenty and twenty. Is there any particular way
in which you'll be celebrating Juneteenth this year or Well,
that's a good question, and actually that sparks the idea
I should celebrate it this year. We all should celebrate it.
But now I don't have any plans to celebrate it.
But now that you mentioned it, maybe now I do.
(19:55):
I do think it's crazy that people don't know what
Juneteenth Day is and that we don't celebrate it like
at all, because we celebrate a lot fourth and that's
what Independence Day was seventeen seventy six. No like African
Americans with slaves then, So I don't really know what
African Americans really have to celebrate about July fourth, because
we weren't invited to that party. You know, we didn't
(20:16):
enjoy the rights that they're celebrating, so to be honest,
I think Juneteenth should be the real Independence day. That's
if America is about freedom and justice for all and
rights for everybody. Technically that wasn't the case until eighteen
sixty five, so that to me sounds like more like
an independence day than July fourth. If you asked me,
(20:36):
my name is Heather McGee, and I'm the author of
the book The Sum of Us, What Racism Costs Everyone
and How we can prosper Together. On my book tour,
I was asked a question about Juneteenth. Some union activists
were trying to get a city council resolution making Juneteenth holiday,
(20:59):
and there was a white member of the city council,
a man who was opposed to the idea or hesitant
about it, and the avis asked me what advice I
would give for getting him to see Juneteenth is something
that would be worth celebrating. And I got quiet, and
(21:19):
I thought about this exercise of empathy that I've been
doing for the past number of years to try to
find a way to see a win win, a solidarity
dividend that we can unlock when we come together across
lines of race. I thought about how this man probably
thought about July fourth as a holiday that was something
(21:44):
he looked forward to, was the American Independence Day that
he'd always enjoyed. He'd always loved the barbecues. You know,
American workers don't get a lot of holidays, and we
only have one in the summer, and it often results
in a long weekend and family get togethers and grilled
(22:04):
hot dogs and fireworks. We don't celebrate a lot as
a people in this country. We don't give ourselves breaks
too often. And I thought maybe this white city council
member was seeing it through zero sum If Juneteenth is
a holiday, does that mean he has to lose the
(22:27):
holiday that he had grown up celebrating. I wonder if
he's wondering, does he have to lose July fourth? Does
he have to lose that Independence Day? And quite literally,
will this white man be invited to the cookout if
we begin to celebrate the true independence day, the day
(22:47):
in which all of our people became free, and the
day in which this country became free of the yoke
of slavery that was handed to us before our founding.
So it occurred to me that maybe when we talk
about Juneteenth, we should paint a picture of what it
looks like for everyone to celebrate, because the liberation of
(23:11):
enslaved people is as important to every single person living
in this land today as it is to any of us.
It is our collective liberation because racism has a cost
for everyone. So on the day of June nineteenth, every
single American should celebrate and recommit to the principles of
(23:38):
true freedom from the legacy of white supremacy, because truly
that will make us all free. How are you celebrating
Juneteenth this year? Tag us on Twitter at pushkin Pots
(23:59):
and let us Know Be Anti Racist is a production
of Pushing Industries and Our Heart Media. Juneteenth Mixtape was
written a host by doctor Ebram x Kindy and produced
by Britney Brown and Sasha Matthias with help from Alexandra
Garratton and Nicolemorano. It was mixed and mastered by Ben Talliday.
Our executive producers are Only Time Wild and Melo Bell.
(24:22):
Many thanks to Tammy Winn and doctor Heaven Sandford at
the Center for Anti Racist Research at Boston University. For
all of the health at Pushkin thanks to Heather Fame, Klimgleori,
John Schnarz, and Jacob Wiseberg. You can find doctor Kendy
on Twitter at d r Ebram and on Instagram at
ebram x K. You can find Pushkin on alsocial platforms
at pushkin pots, and you can sign up for our
(24:43):
newsletter at pushkin dot fm. To find more Pushkin podcast
listen on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or
whatever you'd like to listen
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com