In Observance of Juneteenth

Posted on Author RCC

There is an old adage that history is written by the victors of war, and that may be something to keep in mind when we are trying to gain a balanced understanding of the events that shape our national identity. As we observe and celebrate Juneteenth this week, it’s important to consider the gaps in our knowledge of American history between what is taught in school and what is left out.

Although it is now a national holiday, many of us had never heard of Juneteenth until relatively recently. Also known as Freedom Day, Juneteenth has been recognized and celebrated in Texas and by Black Americans in other states for generations. The holiday commemorates the date when the last enslaved African Americans in the United States were declared free. Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, where they began to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation that President Abraham Lincoln issued January 1, 1862. Texas was the last Confederate state forced to free enslaved people of color.

What other history have we been missing out on? What factors or decision-makers influence what is included in our curriculums and history books? Do we have a duty as educators to dig deeper at these gaps in our knowledge?

For example, many Americans only learned about the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 through a dramatization on the TV show “Watchmen,” which aired on HBO in October 2019. This historical event, of which there are still two living survivors, culminated in a massacre and the destruction of the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, a thriving community of African American entrepreneurs, professionals and families, also known as Black Wall Street. For nearly 100 years, there was no mention of this history in schools, not even in Oklahoma schools. Just last week, those survivors were denied reparations by their state Supreme Court.

Another example of a major historical event not often taught is the 1898 Coup D’Etat in Wilmington, North Carolina, the only armed overthrow of a legally elected government in U.S. history. Even before the Civil War in 1860, Wilmington was unique as a bustling trading port and multiracial American city, the largest in North Carolina. After the passage of the 14th and 15th Amendments, and buoyed by the favorable economy of their port city, Black Wilmingtonians began to achieve prominent positions in society, in business and in elected office. In addition, Black citizens had a voice in the Wilmington Daily Record, one of the country’s only Black-owned daily newspapers. In 1868, during the Reconstruction era, 16 African American men were elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives and three to the state Senate. In the decades that followed, there was a growing resentment and backlash to perceived African American political and economic power. White politicians and business leaders in Wilmington began a white supremacy campaign to instill fear about “Negro Rule.” In 1898, they eventually orchestrated the overthrow, murder and banishment of most Black elected officials and business leaders, as well as their white allies. They also annexed the properties and business assets left behind, including the newspaper and printing press. There would not be another Black North Carolinian elected to Congress again until 1992, and the historical event would not be acknowledged by the state government until 2007.

When we reflect on Freedom Day, knowing these histories gives us a deeper understanding about the difference between freedom and liberation. Who is free to have representation in government? Who is free to participate in a capitalist economy? Who is free to move about safely in society?

If knowledge is power, then as citizens participating in a democracy, it is important to have a well-balanced perspective on history. One of our biggest challenges as Americans is going back to re-examine the history we learned in school, but more importantly, exploring what was left out and why.

It’s not easy to acknowledge tragic events in our history, but we should also celebrate the circumstances in which joy and humanity thrived. For example, there is the fact that in cities like Wilmington, even before the Civil War, there was a natural tendency of Americans to integrate society before the introduction of Jim Crow laws segregated us again. In Wilmington at the turn of the century, they even formed a biracial political party working toward integration called The Fusionists.

This Juneteenth, we invite you to explore and broaden your knowledge. What more do you want to learn about our country’s history? What events might you look at through a different lens?

To help you on you journey, below are some educational resources on the events mentioned above as well as on the holiday itself. Juneteenth is a celebration for all Americans.

Resources

For more information, email Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Coordinator Lucia Bartscher at LBartscher@roguecc.edu.