CBI Blogs

This week, the United States marked the celebration of Juneteenth. While this day only became a federal holiday in 2021, People of Color and other communities have commemorated the liberation of slaves in the U.S. since 1866. Of course, we do have to wonder why it took so long for this country to honor the significance of this date. And, we also wonder why it took so long for the slaves of Texas to be freed after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1865. But even more so, our 21^st Century selves question why slavery ever existed at all?

For many, Juneteenth wasn’t always discussed or known as an important holiday. Native Texans tend to know more about it than others, primarily as it is part of Texas history. Of course, people from all over the country learned about Juneteenth at different points in their lives. However, for far too long, much of the non-Black communities knew little to nothing about Juneteenth, or why it remains such a crucial day in our year.

As Jews, we often center our focus on marginalized people, those who, like us, know the cruelty of oppression and hatred. We say that, as we were once slaves in the land of Egypt, we too have the obligation and responsibility to help bring an end to the oppression of others. Our slavery was thousands of years ago, but to this day, we continue to feel the sting of hatred from others, the anger and resentment sent our way on a daily basis.

And yet, for a majority of the Jewish community, we will never know the experience of hatred because of the color of our skin. There are a great number of Jews who are People of Color, but still more that are White. We White Jews do not experience the systemic racism that exists within our society. We do not feel outcast when walking into a store or a room because we can “pass” as another White person. This article from 2019 (before Juneteenth was made into a federal holiday) beautifully articulates this experience. It clearly explains why and how the Jewish community is deeply connected to Juneteenth and why we should continue to uplift the significance of this day, even though we don’t experience racism the way the Black community does.

This is why Juneteenth remains important in our country and in the Jewish community. Lest we forget the experience of our ancestors, lest we forget our responsibility to create a better world for all, Juneteenth reminds us that we are one humanity, Jew and non-Jew, Black and Brown and White. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said, “No one is free until everyone is free.” Those words ring true today as they did decades ago, hundreds of years ago, and even centuries ago. Juneteenth reminds us of how far we’ve come, but we still have much work to do. Together, we can make our country and world a place of freedom, equity, and justice for all. Wishing everyone a celebratory and meaningful Juneteenth, this year and always.

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