To understand the current opposition to Juneteenth “celebrations”, it is important to understand the historical lens that has shaped our current skepticism.ĭespite the opposition, Black Americans were excited to embrace a national holiday celebrating one of our leaders. Additionally, our country has established a precedent of using our celebrations of historical progress as an excuse to not address the systemic issues the Black community still faces today. When the focus is big signs and an influx of commercialization, significant components of Black history and our continued fight towards equality gets watered down or downplayed. This holiday represents Black liberation therefore, the focus of celebrations should be nested in this concept. However, companies and mainstream media rarely manage to accomplish this without looking exploitative and tone deaf. "Shouldn't we be happy that this holiday is finally being acknowledged and introduced to the general public?" "Isn't representation and mainstream recognition a GOOD thing?" My answer … yes, celebrating Juneteenth as a federal holiday while recognizing and respecting the significance of this day is a step in the right direction. I've had a few of my friends ask me why everyone's so upset. A lot of Juneteenth themed products and promotions have gone viral lately and have been met with outrage, most notably this Juneteenth themed ice cream pint sold at Walmart.
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