July 1, 2024

As we begin the month of July, there is cause for reflection and celebration. History has not been a favorite subject of mine, as that which was taught in schools during my education did not always align with the generational history that was shared at home.

Three days from now, we will celebrate the Declaration of Independence, the annual recognition of the nationhood of the United States of America, which was ratified in 1776, and has been a federal holiday since 1870.

The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, freeing the enslaved (some 87 years after the Declaration of Independence was ratified). However, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that most of the enslaved people were free. In 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday.

I grew up celebrating both Juneteenth and the Fourth of July, but for different reasons. As people begin to better understand the importance and nuances of both, to recognize the value and lived history it reveals, my prayer is that instead of using it as a way to divide us, we acknowledge what it was in the past, to change how it is currently, in order to create what it can be in the future.

Be well, stay safe and take good care!

~ Ms. Jacquie