Juneteenth is a day on, not a day off for white allies

The Juneteenth holiday marks the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday is celebrated in mostly predominantly Black American communities and some predominantly non-African-American communities. Specifically, this day marks when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, and declared General E.O.C. Ord had given him orders that all slaves were granted their freedom. Juneteenth, June 19th — celebrated as the day that Texas slaves were emancipated — is often a day off work for many white people whose employers offer this as an option. Although this is marketed as a special time to celebrate “the end of slavery”, Juneteenth is a day on, not a day off. It’s not intended to give white people in America a time to “rest easy” without giving any thought or attention to the slavery which has continued throughout history.

Juneteenth is an important day, but it is also a day when white allies must ensure that they don’t do anything that will harm their Black friends and family. It’s a day on. I don’t mean that in the sense of “you have to do something today, so you can’t take a break.” I mean it in the sense of putting yourself out there, being vulnerable, and committing to doing better. This doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate! It just means that when you’re celebrating, you should be aware of the fact that this is not your…