Celebrations are mostly about joy and togetherness, but not all. We celebrate days and dates for a purpose, most of them carrying a long history of struggle being carried forward through generations, keeping alive the memories and reasons.
Certain days we celebrate to revive the dormant reasons, forgotten events and community triumphs.
I have seen people sometimes being confused between two such days, as they share a similar cause,
Juneteenth and,
Independence-Day
So today we will learn all about Juneteenth and Independence-Day, and how they are different.
Juneteenth: Freedom For Black ✊🏾
This day is celebrated on 19th June so, it’s very easy to remember the date because of its name. Combining June and nineteenth we get “Juneteenth”. The day has got some other famous names as well suggesting it’s reason through the meaning, let’s delve into those:
Black Independence day – As the name suggests this day is for black people to celebrate their certain independence in U.S. History.
Emancipation day – This is because it commemorates the day President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation proclamation, which declared Black population of 3 million (then slaves) to be free.
Some more names are Jubilee Day and Juneteenth Independence day, these are what I found.
So now we understand why Juneteenth is celebrated and the fact that it is more of a community independence than a national celebration. Although this doesn’t mean that Juneteenth day doesn’t have a national voice. Since 1980, Juneteenth was a state holiday in Texas and some other states too; it was only on June 17, 2021 U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Holiday Act into law, making it a federal holiday.
Interestingly not only in the United States but Juneteenth is as well recognized in a number of countries to honor the end of slavery.
Independence Day: The event of 4th July, 1776
Independence day must not be a very new term to you. It’s a national festival that celebrates independence nationwide rather than individual freedom. By declaration states connect and become One making it a more political event. In the context of true independence the event of July 4, indeed brought freedom from being a British Subject. Americans then become citizens and not a subject. But it didn’t really affect the lives enslaved by American colonists. Thus, making Juneteenth an important and an entirely different event in contrast.
Conclusion
Recapitulating the idea, we understand independence gained in 1776 (Independence Day) is actually partial without Juneteenth in the picture of history. National independence is more about governance with mutual consent formed by the citizens. In the same picture it might as well harass certain groups like African Americans that were yet being enslaved after the U.S. being already declared as an independent Nation.
In the sense of freedom, it might seem that independence day and Juneteenth share the same cause but by contrast it represents very different realities.
Every word is individual; we will keep unlocking the meanings, stay connected.
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