So, when it comes to MLK Day, yes, Black Americans are pleased to have a holiday honoring one of our iconic leaders. However, it’s impossible to ignore how his image over time has been tokenized and weaponized against our own people. How can this country genuinely honor a man that gave his life to help us gain basic human rights, while minimizing the incredible hurdles we have fought to overcome? These two actions are contradictory. When honoring Dr. King, we should acknowledge who he was, the incredible coalition of efforts that led to Black Americans gaining fundamental freedoms, and the continued goal to push America to treat all citizens equally. An MLK “celebration” that lacks these components is simply a performative action that lacks substance.
Up until the pandemic, Juneteenth was celebrated as a niche holiday amongst Black Americans. People that celebrated the holiday understood the emotional gravity of celebrating the official end of slavery. We understood that on July 4, 1776, our ancestors were not free. We understood that although the Emancipation Proclamation technically freed some slaves on January 1, 1863, without the existence of 24-hour news stations and social media, many were unaware that slavery had been outlawed. We understood that June 19, 1865, was a significant turning point in African American history and marked the beginning of a long fight towards equality in the U.S. – a fight we are still waging today.