Why Some Have An Issue With Juneteenth But Can Happily Celebrate The 4th of July
How the myth of "Blackwashing" history erases Black existence.
Black people recently celebrated Juneteenth on the 19th of June and now that the 4th of July is here, some Americans are getting ready to celebrate the holiday with dignity and pride. Although, as Juneteenth comes around each year, it faces waves of backlash. With some people asking why Black Americans get a holiday in the first place. The pattern is the same every year; some White Americans resort to centering themselves whenever June approaches and then are confused as to why some Black people do not recognise or celebrate the 4th of July.
Juneteenth is a holiday that celebrates the freedom of Black people in America when the end of slavery was proclaimed. Whereas the 4th of July is an annual celebration that commemorates the nation's declaration of independence from British rule in 1776. These two holidays are starkly different from each other. Their histories on American soil cannot even begin to be compared.
Juneteenth and the 4th of July juxtaposed
What is the 4th of July to a Black person? On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass gave a keynote address at an Independence Day celebration and asked…
