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I just can't get excited about a holiday at a time like this. Lawmakers across the country are actively trying disenfranchise us , large portions of the population see BLM as a terror group and black history is being white washed. The State of Texas has celebrated Juneteenth for as long as I remember but we are still treated like second class citizens here.
I apologize if I wasn't being clear, I'll own that.
I work in the corporate world, in HR. We had meeting after meeting about diversity, equity, and inclusion with various teams during the demonstrations in 2020. My leadership, predominantly cis het white men, told leadership staff what they needed to do is listen. They vocalized their commitment to be more diverse and to do more to make sure employees can be "their authentic selves."
You know what I heard? Our Black employees were well aware of who our company donated to for political contributions. Our Black employees knew that our predominantly Black customer brackets were underserved, in terms of technology. Trust me when I say, I heard, and vocalized, lip service isn't nearly enough.
What did we do? Well, I mentioned this in a different thread, but we changed how we do screen savers to show prominent Black leaders during February. Our political contributions? Save those who sponsored the 1/6/2021 insurrection, no changes. Technology in our Southern areas with a predominantly Black customer population? Same maintenance schedule.
When I say "a lot of us" I mean, generally, White men who feel validated by small changes. I know that the change needed in society for marginalized groups doesn't hang on the whims of the majority. I just know that people who look like me sometimes feel really proud about small wins and think that everything is cool.
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Agreed.
Also, I remember the reparations threads back on GAF and those were a shitstorm.
The ones here aren't much better because people aren't forthcoming with the fact that they just don't think we deserve our fucking backpay for all the labor we've done. š
Cool, so what does this mean for many black Americans who work on Saturdays on Theme parks and resorts?
Not to mention retail, restaurants and other hospitality services.
Means the same thing as when they're working on MLK day, Presidents' day, Columbus day...
No apologies necessary, and I take ownership of the fact that after I responded to your post, I read it again and realized that I probably interpreted it incorrectly. So, there's that. lol
I sympathize with what you wrote here, because a lot of this reflects what's been happening at my day job, and I understand where the Black people in your office are coming from. Because, frankly, lip service isn't enough. We need more. The issue that I wrestle with, is that whenever this comes up, and there's a minor victory to be had, I fail to see who is arguing that this is enough...except for white people, whose opinions on this I don't necessarily take at full stock because this has happened before and will happen again. Juneteenth or not, white people as a demographic sit at the top of the socio-political power structure and will use any and every "minor victory" to dismiss entire movements. This is nothing new.
I want to be very clear that I'm speaking for myself here; you will find Black folks who disagree. But a lot of the internal work I've done over the last few months, in order to prevent myself from falling into a pit of debilitating pessimism, is knowing when I need to take a step back and breathe, and learning how to accept all the victories, big and small. Because I want everything for Black people.
More Black federal holidays? Yes.
More equity in hiring and pay? Yes.
A dismantling of the racialized and discriminatory justice system that exists terrorize us? Yes.
More Black people in positions of power? Yes.
More visibility for Black people in general? Yes, throw that in the cart too.
I want all of the things for Black people. And I try to take care that I don't get to this place where I'm paradoxically arguing that Black people should have less.
Make Juneteenth a federal holiday. It deserves. I'm still going to be organizing tomorrow. Ain't shit changed.
anybody crying about cynicism needs to take that shit up with their therapist about how they are so easily placated that if they recognized this for what it really was they'd be "miserable".
Niggas ain't need congress to celebrate this. White people mangle MLK holiday every ducking year but this is supposed to be progress? Lmfao. Y'all are convincing yourselves, not me. I was born at night, not last night.
I'll just tell my Landlord that the slow arc of progress takes a while and I'll get back to them on the rent in about fifty or so years.
Niggas ain't need congress to celebrate this. White people mangle MLK holiday every ducking year but this is supposed to be progress? Lmfao. Y'all are convincing yourselves, not me. I was born at night, not last night.
I'll just tell my Landlord that the slow arc of progress takes a while and I'll get back to them on the rent in about fifty or so years.
folks who are saying that we need to accept this as a "small win"
I mean, you can do what you want.
But I don't see anybody in here who's placated. So, I don't understand where the animosity aimed at people who are trying to see some good in this (and relating it to their own mental health...*raises hand*) is coming from. That was a little hurtful.
But, as I said, not everybody is going to agree.
Lauryn Hill once said: "See fantasy is what people want, but reality is what they need"
I don't know how many more symbolic wins people need to wrestle with before we all get on the same page about the current state of our reality
I think this is a false choice.
I won't speak to your motives or anyone else's. But in as much as you were responding to me, my willingness to acknowledge "symbolic victories" is not equivalent to my disassociation from Black people's struggle both in the US and abroad.
I can do both.
I think it's easy to be cynical in 2021, but like, yesterday there was no holiday that recognized the end of slavery, and now there is. And in the future kids are going to grow up being aware of it, and people are gonna know about a day that wasn't really all that talked about till recently.
It's not like people are saying this somehow solved the problems black Americans face, but these small bits of recognition make sure future generations never forget. This kind of stuff does matter. Yeah, obviously do more, and don't be placated by symbols, but symbols are important, too. Both are necessary.
It's not like people are saying this somehow solved the problems black Americans face, but these small bits of recognition make sure future generations never forget. This kind of stuff does matter. Yeah, obviously do more, and don't be placated by symbols, but symbols are important, too. Both are necessary.
What future kids are going to grow up being aware of depends on how the history is taught. If it's "the Army rode in and told the black people that Lincoln freed them," and that's essentially it, it doesn't help -- and could make things worse.
I think Juneteenth is an important component of historical education here, but I'm not optimistic about the rest of the context. Basically, the idea of a black Independence Day presents both opportunities (because that is something to recognize, remember, and celebrate) but also vulnerabilities... because it's yet another vector that can be used to craft narratives that fuel white supremacy.
Trump: "I made Juneteenth very famous." ... "I did all this stuff for the blacks and they all fucking hate me."
At least he got the second half right because I sure do fucking hate him
This is my take as well though I haven't done as much protesting and organizing. Juneteenth is nice to have (if anything it's the bare minimum that should have been done years ago) but there is more work to do.
I get the sentiment here, but I hate when people throw "they" around. As if the Republicans in Florida banning critical race theory in schools have anything to do with the Biden administration signing off on a new holiday.
These types of reductionist comparisons aren't helpful, and are the types of disingenuous comparisons I'm used to right-wing-tards making.
EDIT - I think I'm missing critical information here...
i tried a million different ways to get that video to work and i cannot
One Woman's Decades-Long Fight To Make Juneteenth A U.S. Holiday
"We can all finally celebrate. The whole country together," says Opal Lee, 94, who has been working for years to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
www.npr.org
Opal Leeās Juneteenth Vision Is Becoming Reality (Published 2020)
The 94-year-old activist and lifelong Texan has campaigned to make June 19 a national holiday for years.
The day this happens is the day I start attacking people with a broom.
Just wanna say that while I personally feel like this type of acknowledgment from the government rings hollow without them also formally and officially apologizing to us for the atrocities that they've committed against our people (seriously imagine someone abducting and abusing you for years, and after they let you go, they decide to commemorate your freedom without even so much as apologizing for their wrong doing), if other black people see it as a small victory, then it's not my place to shit on their parade. I'm glad they're able to see something positive in this.
I'm just tired of the superficial bullshit. And if we're gonna be superficial, at least give us a hollow formal apology. I can't seriously value any kind of acknowledgment from the government regarding our achievements if they can't apologize for their wrong doing that prompted us to strive for those achievements in the first place. It's like the most basic sign of remorse, and they haven't shown it. The government is a fucking joke.
EDIT: and to be super duper clear, I'm only speaking from my perspective. Black people aren't a monolith.
I'm just tired of the superficial bullshit. And if we're gonna be superficial, at least give us a hollow formal apology. I can't seriously value any kind of acknowledgment from the government regarding our achievements if they can't apologize for their wrong doing that prompted us to strive for those achievements in the first place. It's like the most basic sign of remorse, and they haven't shown it. The government is a fucking joke.
EDIT: and to be super duper clear, I'm only speaking from my perspective. Black people aren't a monolith.
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A shame corporate America, or most companies won't observe this either. I just checked which paid holidays I get and it's the bare minimum "safe" American holidays. Can't be observing any controversial person or race-based holiday.