Today is Juneteenth, sometimes called Black Independence Day. In the coming days, there'll be celebrations across the nation and around the Eastern Shore, including a parade on Saturday in downtown Salisbury. At a time of significant retreat from diversity initiatives by the Trump administration, organizers say the holiday's importance is more important than ever. Delmarva Public Media's Kevin Diaz has this report.
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Juneteenth celebrates the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in Texas were told they were free. It was two years after Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. June 19th is now celebrated by more and more Black and White Americans every year. Former president Joe Biden made it a federal holiday in 2021. At the same time, it appeared that many corporate and government entities were leaning more heavily into the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI. But the election of President Donald Trump in 2024 abruptly reversed that trend. Given the Trump administration's assault on DEI and government and education, this year's Juneteenth celebrations, at least the ones on the Eastern Shore, might carry a little more meaning for the people involved.
” Juneteenth this year probably has an added flare of necessity with the climate”, says Monica Brooks, president of the Wicomico NAACP.
“Now, just to be clear, Black people in this country have always been under assault, always. Now, with that said, it's important for us to be able to celebrate all the accomplishments, all the contributions that black people have made to this country that nobody should be erasing or removing”, continued Brooks.
Erasing, or removing the complexity of America's racial history would represent a step backwards for University of Maryland Eastern Shore History professor Arlisha Norwood, the author of a children's book about Juneteenth.
“There's always this force in this country that wants to tell a monolithic history, right? Unfortunately, some administrations disprove of that and approve of that, but the force is always there. The force is always there trying to present American history as one way, and I think that Juneteenth during this time is a reminder that that narrative is not only not true, but it does not include all Americans”, said Norwood.
To Norwood, who teaches about the Civil War and reconstruction, celebrating Juneteenth reinforces the lessons of history both recent and long ago.
“I think Juneteenth, especially being celebrated during this administration, is like this affirmation of that idea, the affirmation that we deserve to know this complex history and we deserve to celebrate it or reconcile with it, but we definitely don't deserve to hear about one story”, Norwood explained.
Overcoming the tribulations of the past, she adds, provides a blueprint for the future.
“We are talking about a time where everything is so divisive, right? We talk about what we can learn in school. Having students think about the possibilities of what America could be is really mind blowing to me”, said Norwood.
In Maryland, those possibilities ring louder this year with the arrival of Wes Moore as the State's first Black governor. Amber Green, founder of the Fenix Youth Project in Salisbury, which serves African-American youth, puts it like this.
“I think the significance for this year, especially in the state of Maryland, where we have an administration that's very Black, that's very proud, but also has a lot of business that needs to get done. I think it's important for our communities to remember where we come from, who we are, and where we're going, what's the plan, and I think we need a space to celebrate that”, said Green.
In the end, Green says, it's not about dwelling on the injustices of the past, but of honoring the fortitude it took to overcome them.
“Juneteenth is the time to celebrate and remember where you come from, not just to be angry, but to celebrate that resilience”, explained Green.
Ready or not, break out the music, the food, and the parades. For Delmarva Public Media, this is Kevin Diaz.
