Myra Griffin
The Houston Sun
Juneteenth is right around the corner and the festivals and pageants are in full swing. Beautiful black women and handsome black men, young and old are ready to celebrate the activities that surround the holiday.
After 148 years of Juneteenth’s, the holiday has blossomed from just a day of celebration in Galveston, Texas to a state holiday that many other states have adopted and weeks long events that lead up to the big Juneteenth day celebration.
Centuries of history ties into the day of Juneteenth. The enslavement of African American’s ancestors is a history that cannot be taken lightly and the emancipation of those slaves is a monumental moment in American society that has set off a chain of events that can still be felt to this very day. But one thing those freed slaves and their descendants had was a spirit of joy and that joy caused jubilation for their freedom that has kept Juneteenth thriving for 148 years.
“In Marlin, TX the community or families would come together and celebrate. They would kill a hog or other stock and prepare a big meal and eat,” Lorenzo Lucas, Jr. No one worked on Juneteenth. You may have worked on July 4, but never on Juneteenth. It was an important celebration that was eagerly anticipated each year in the community.”
Year after year the African American community has to remember and decide whether they want to celebrate their past hurts, pains and triumphs. Over those years the climate of the country has changed and the reminder of slavery and the oppression of those with the African traits in America has gone cold but once a year Juneteenth comes and in the back ground you can hear James Brown’s “Say It Loud” playing and in the attitudes of the African Americans all around.
“Juneteenth is freedom, celebration, love for my people its exciting it’s a historical event we tend to belittle and it’s one of the most important days to celebrate and we should celebrate. It also means watermelon, red soda and fun,” said Sister Momma Sonya.
Although the climate of Juneteenth is evolving like any tradition does after a 100 years there are people who still see the need for Juneteenth and not just for one day.
“I celebrate because it’s an honor that African Americans have their own holiday where we can celebrate that we were no longer legislatively enslaved. It gives an opportunity to talk about the history, about the slavery people don’t want to talk about,” said Sister Momma Sonya. “There are many wonderful stories about our ancestors and we have to tell that tale and once you see the things our ancestors went through we have to celebrate the end of that era.”
Sister Momma Sonya is a “her-storian” who researches and teaches the history of the African American culture. She spoke about the anticipation of the slaves not knowing what this general had to say when the slaves were going to hear General Gordon Granger read the General Order #3 to emancipate the slaves in Texas.
“Can you imagine the anticipation of not knowing and going to see what is going to happen and when General Granger reads that proclamation and says their free. So what happens next, no jobs, no place to go, and can you imagine the emotion, they had been enslaved all their lives, someone told them when to get up, when to go to bed, what they can eat, working hard and not get any money, seeing their babies, children everything taken away from them and now all of a sudden their free. What kind emotion does that bring out and I love to celebrate Juneteenth to talk about those emotions. To let people know as African Americans ,we have been through so much. Juneteenth represent the insurmountable odds we’ve been through like an ushering in of a brand new era,” said Sister Momma Sonya.
The brand new era has transformed time and time again and no its 2013 and we have tons of African Americans walking around and are not aware of what a Juneteenth is. Filmmaker Isaiah Fanuiel went around the country asking random people what did they know about Juneteenth in his documentary “The New Juneteenth”. The responses varied and for every person who had some knowledge there were two who had not a clue.
“I’m from Galveston where Juneteenth started and I grew up celebrating Juneteenth all my life. I never knew what it really was so as for my self and like many other people we just celebrated and knew that it may be something for black people about slavery but not really have an understanding about what it really means,” said Fanuiel. “I think that if you don’t have an understanding of what Juneteenth means then you really don’t get the issues that we as black people may be up against with the history of this country so if you don’t really understand Juneteenth and the history of slavery then there are so many other things you don’t get and don’t understand.”
Through his travels Fanuiel saw people of various ages that were not knowledgeable about Juneteenth and that raised concerned for them as he made educated them on the meaning once it was clear they didn’t know.
“We have to teach our kids, we can’t just let this part of history disappear. Naturally when we have something that is so atrocious like the institution of slavery it’s natural to not want to get into it and not to want to talk about it but we can never forget that part of history,” said Fanuiel.” I mean we were enslaved people for over 200 years and we’ve only been free for 148 years at this point. That’s why I think Juneteenth is that day that America should celebrate and commemorate the end of slavery not just a day for Texas. It has to be at some point a come together and unify to make this day the day we celebrate freedom.”
Fanuiel’s goal is to unite nationwide versus the format where communities come out and celebrate individually or collectively.
“In Crocket, TX and in Houston the community would come together for a big celebration. There would be barbecue, soda water and of course watermelon,” Florence Daniels, a 92 year- old Texan. “The boys would play baseball games against the neighboring communities such as Augusta. After the game there would be a big dance. Everyone who could get off work would do so. It was a big community celebration.”
There are still celebrations going on throughout the towns as Galveston is still celebrating with their parade, Juneteenth pageant and the reading of the General Order #3 at Ashton Villa.
“In recent years there has been Juneteenth celebrations for many years and it has shifted to more than just Juneteenth but really a week or two of celebrations,” said Dwayne Jones Executive Director of Galveston Historical Foundation. “One thing that has been fairly consistent is the reading of the General Order #3 at the county court house or at some location in Galveston or at a place what is called now Reedy Chapel and it wasn’t called Reedy Chapel in the 1870’s but it’s the same location of the building. It’s always some type of celebration around food, other speeches, discussions and political actions and what that means for African Americans. It has always been various events but they always have those components.”
Ajee Long, 18 and a native of Galveston County, competed in the Galveston area Juneteenth pageant 2013 voiced concern that the younger generations are losing their appreciation for Juneteenth.
“Juneteenth is becoming a faded tradition because the younger generations are losing respect for the work of the slave and no one is trying to teach them any better,” said Long.
Long’s concern is has not gone unnoticed as Sister Momma Sonya and Isaiah Fanuiel both expressed the same sentiments about the lack of enthusiasm about Juneteenth.
“I think Juneteenth is becoming a fading tradition and I don’t know if it’s because we are ashamed of our history or is it because of a lack of knowledge of our history,” said Sister Momma Sonya. “I have heard so many say they don’t want to talk about it anymore or there are new things they need to talk about and all that slavery stuff is old. People not knowing their traditions, history and maybe a little fear because if we know about our past we will have to confront who we are now and plan for the future and that can be a scary proposition.”
Fanuiel echoed Sister Momma Sonya as he too thinks Juneteenth is fading in a sense as there isn’t much press coverage on it and he doesn’t feel that America has embraced Juneteenth as a celebratory day.
“I think we are scared to touch on race and I think that’s definitely an issue in America and when we touch on race the issue is so sensitive and so controversial and it makes so many people shy away it,” said Fanuiel. “Juneteenth is a celebration. It’s a treasure for the country to embrace the history through celebration. It’s like a hidden treasure and once we get it and embrace it, it can really do some good for the country.”
The question is where do we as a country go from here? How do we make sure Juneteenth keeps thriving and pumping through the minds and hearts of the descendants? Sister Momma Sonya suggested that communities get more organized and involved with one another to plan Juneteenth activities, to have a big Juneteenth calendar, To keep teaching the children the stories and the history, to never forget the meaning of the celebration. Isaiah Fanuiel wants the whole country celebrating Juneteenth by 2015 to commemorate 150 years of the celebration and for African Americans to not be ashamed of it and learn the valuable lessons being taught by their ancestors being enslaved. Ajee Long has hope for her generation as she believes that people should go back to telling the story of the slave to family and friends and going back to the “old ways” by throwing parties in their communities and having different activities that center around the history.
Juneteenth 2013 will not go unnoticed as there are many celebrations and events going on throughout Houston and all the down to Galveston. Emancipation Park will hold activities throughout the week ending on Juneteenth day, Galveston will do the same and 4th Ward will be holding a celebration as well. Many will barbeque, eat watermelon and drink red soda while giving an oral history to their loved ones at their homes while others will pilgrimage to Ashton Villa and stand in unison as they hear the reading that brought tears, hope and dreams to enslaved Africans who soon would be Americans over 148 years ago.