By Mackenzie Williams
AFRO Intern
mwilliams@afro.com
“Struggle is a never ending process. Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation.”
― Coretta Scott King, quote from “My Life With Martin Luther King Jr.”
Juneteenth is a defining moment for when Black people began their journey into freedom.
This Juneteenth, the AFRO looked at ways the Black community can reclaim their power and liberation by taking the time to honor the meaning of this holiday.
- Embrace your community
Juneteenth is an African-American holiday that can be celebrated by all. Though the date has been celebrated in Texas since 1980, the holiday became a federal holiday in 2021. Last year, the Pew Research Center reported that “at least 28 states and the District of Columbia” officially “recognized Juneteenth as a public holiday – meaning state government offices are closed and state workers have a paid day off.”
Jo Von McCalester, Ph.D, a political science and Afro American Studies professor at Howard University, weighed in on how to embrace community on June 19.
“I want us to know and acknowledge what we are barbecuing for,” McCalester told the AFRO. “Tap into your community, because there are all kinds of celebrations happening. Individuals don’t have to create their own traditions around Juneteenth–at least not right now. They can join in with other groups that are celebrating. From there, they can get an idea of what is being celebrated.”
- Know your history
“While history is what happened, it is also, just as important, how we think about what happened and what we unearth and choose to remember about what happened.”
― Nikole Hannah-Jones, excerpt from “The 1619 Project: A New American Origin Story”
In 2021, Governor Ron De Santis announced the STOP W.O.K.E Act, which “works to combat critical race theory practices and corporate wokeism.” His legislation put forth the narrative that slaves benefited from slavery because it afforded the opportunity to learn “useful skills.” In the past few years the Black community has seen their books banned and their history rewritten. While Juneteenth is a holiday to celebrate freedom–it’s also a time to take advantage of the freedom to gain knowledge and dispel untruths.
This Juneteenth, take time to examine a part of Black history you are unfamiliar with or revisit an era you know from beginning to end– you may learn something new. The AFRO Archives and “1619 Project,” by Nikole Hannah-Jones, are the perfect places to start!
- Document your story
The term “slave narrative” gained popularity in the 18th and 19th century as a surge of slaves documented their life experience in oratorical and rhetorical fashion, to the surprise of enslavers and bigoted Americans. The purpose was to not only shed light on the conditions of slave labor, but also on the humanities and capabilities Black people had in comparison to their White counterparts. The words of Frederick Douglas in “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave,” and the book, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” by Harriet Jacobs, shook the country into a space of understanding and rebellion.
This Juneteenth holiday, take time to record your story and information on the life and times of your living relatives. Experts say journaling can help lower blood pressure, decrease depressive symptoms and improve overall well-being. The ancestors worked tirelessly and even risked their lives to gain the right to read, write, speak their minds and make meaning of their experiences– exercise your right today by recording your story.
- Learn about traditional foods
On Juneteenth, the color red is used as a symbol of resilience and the bloodshed of ancestors. Hibiscus tea, also known as “sorrel” to West African families, is one traditional item to make this year on June 19.
The recipe for sorrel has been orally passed down, keeping with tradition, and is made up of spices and herbs commonly found in the Caribbean. Good fortune foods, such as black eyed peas or cabbage, also symbolize Black tradition, passed on to instill hope.
- Practice health and wellness
Within chattel slavery, inhumane and cruel living conditions and diets made up of nutrient-poor foods significantly impacted the well being and spirit of the Black body. Today, Black people are now actively fighting to improve their collective physical, mental and emotional health.
Many are using meditation or mindfulness practices to help rebalance themselves.
According to the National Library of Medicine, while African Americans report higher rates of chronic stress, “the practice of mindfulness meditation is largely underutilized in African American communities despite its potential health benefits.”
Krista Johnson, Ph.D, the director for the Center of African studies at Howard University,
encourages the Black community to engage in wellness practices– especially the younger generation because she says “it hasn’t gotten enough attention.”
“You can’t underestimate breathing,” Johnson told the AFRO.
This Juneteenth, take time to truly understand how our ancestors survived enslavement and make a point to take better care of yourself. Remember, the healthier you are, the better you are able to live out the wildest dreams of your ancestors.
The post Connecting through time: Five ways to honor the ancestors on Juneteenth appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
