As America celebrates 250 years of independence this year, we must be mindful that for millions of Americans, 1776 did not bring about independence or freedom. Today as a nation we recognize that.
Five years ago, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act; it recognized June 19, 1865, as the day when the last of enslaved people learned of their freedom when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas.
In 1776, when Thomas Jefferson wrote that “all men are created equal” in what would become the Declaration of Independence, he owned 83 men, women and children. He owned more than 600 people during his lifetime. And the lucrative slave trade helped finance the American Revolution.
Yet, between 5,000 and 8,000 Black Americans — some free and some enslaved — fought against the British to help make our 250th year observance possible.
Though Juneteenth has become a national holiday of independence, like July Fourth, there have been attempts to erase the chapters of our history that tell the story of slavery.
Even the story of the enslaved people who served America’s first president and Martha Washington at their home in Philadelphia was removed from public display under an executive order from President Donald Trump. And despite court orders to reinstall the panels, the Trump administration has remained defiant.
Even though the Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people in certain states, freedom did not constitutionally come for all enslaved people until the ratification of the 13th Amendment. It was on Dec. 18, 1865, that then-Secretary of State William H. Seward (after whom Seward Park is named) announced that the amendment had been ratified.
But the inhumane treatment of Black Americans didn’t end when slavery ended, nor did racist policies disappear overnight. The end of slavery was met with 100 years of Black Codes and Jim Crow laws.
In fact, Mississippi did not officially ratify the 13th Amendment until 130 years later, in 1995. It did not formally file the ratification until 2013. These delays speak to the lingering vestiges of slavery, as do the current disparities in health, wealth, employment and incarceration.
There are several Juneteenth events this weekend for the public to experience in and around Seattle. So, let today be a day of reflection, celebration, education, but most of all understanding.
