About Juneteenth

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It seems that Juneteenth—what was before an unofficial day in most of the country that celebrates the end of slavery in the United States through the Emancipation Proclamation signed into law by president Abraham Lincoln—may become a national holiday if it is signed into law by current president Joe Biden. The day also marks to honor the contribution that black Americans made to create their own freedom, donning the blue uniforms of the Union, and fighting against the Confederacy which sought to keep slavery alive. It is a piece of American history that did not end the perils of racism. But nonetheless marks a turn in our history where at least the beginnings of equal rights for all Americans was brought to the table. But there is another part of history that needs to be fully acknowledged if we are to tell the whole story. And that part is who fought to end the abomination of slavery and who fought to preserve it. Because it is an important part of the story. It was in Ripon, Wisconsin where former members of the then whig party decided to meet to discuss the formation of new political party, whose sole purpose at the time was to oppose the spread of slavery into the western terrritories. That party was called the republican party, and they adamantly despised not only slavery itself, but vehemently disagreed with the pro-slavery party of democrats who wanted to not only keep it alive in the south, but sought to expand slavery across all territories. The republican party actually called slavery a crisis, and opposed the tyrannical leadership of democrat president Andrew Jackson who did not see the urgency of ending it, and did nothing to oppose the push in the south to keep it and expand it. The fact that the push for Juneteenth as a national holiday by democrats now is interesting. What is also interesting to me is the fact that the history of slavery and who was for it and against it is absent from the narrative around Juneteenth. You would think that would be an important detail, especially considering the democrats want everyone to believe that the republican party is largely made up of hateful racists. I think Juneteenth should also be expanded to include the history of black American freedom after republicans ended it. While the Union won the war, and the Confederacy was effectively dissolved, the democrat party continued to oppose the rights and freedoms of black Americans. Racism in the south was particularly heavy. Democrat party members created the KKK. Democrat legislators wrote and passed Jim Crowe laws forcing blacks to the back of the bus, and reserving designated areas for blacks to sit in restaurants. They designated black and white drinking fountains. And they opposed equal voting rights of black Americans, fought against equal opportunity laws, and fought strongly to maintain segregation in schools. Not one single democrat voted FOR the Civil Rights Act. Not one democrat voted FOR desegregation. It can also be strongly supported that in the south it was democrats who were the ones who proudly waved their Confederate flags, and honored the Confederate soldiers and generals who seceded from the Union and fought to keep their slaves, erecting statues and monuments in their honor. This part of American history cannot be absent from the story we tell our children when they ask us what Juneteenth is for. And the democrat party, in passing a law declaring this as a national holiday has an obligation to stand before the American people and explain how their party is now different from the one they were in their own tarnished history. Perhaps it is also the democrat party which should be called to the carpet to offer an apology for their own racist past for which they have never acknowledged nor addressed. I say, if Juneteenth can shed light on the REAL story of slavery and the undeserved racism launched at them by the party many black Americans now largely support—this would truly mark a path in our current time when we can start having an HONEST discussion about it. Because isn't it also a bit disingenuous for president Joe Biden, in opposition to certain conservative bills introduced addressing voting to accuse republicans of bringing back Jim Crowe laws when it was the democrat party who invented them?