We saw this coming. Prior to 2020, many people, and certainly many brands, did not celebrate or honor Juneteenth in any meaningful way. Then — with all the performative gestures and false promises that many engaged in during the summer of 2020, what I like to call the “pseudo white awakening” — all of a sudden folks wanted to acknowledge and notice the reality that Black folks have been living and speaking about for generations. They also couldn’t miss a chance to exploit a day that means so much to many of us.
Black folks have been honoring and celebrating Juneteenth long before 2020, and we certainly don’t need brands coming in to appropriate and profit from our culture, especially on a day that is to signify an effort towards ending the exploitation of Black labor. But we also know that no end to that exploitation has ever come, evident in how eager and ready so many brands are to capitalize on this holiday instead of using it as a catalyst for change.
We knew that brands more committed to profits than liberation would use Juneteenth as a means to appropriate and capitalize on Black folks, again. This is not surprising, but it’s still hurtful to see brands exploit the day. How many people had to sign off on Walmart’s ill-received ice cream? Did no one think about how awful this could be? They slapped some Juneteenth messaging on the packaging, expecting to drive sales. Instead, they caused more harm. In just one year of making Juneteenth a federal holiday, brands are already making a mockery of the day with items that feature African American vernacular English (AAVE) and Juneteenth colors — the furthest from what actually needs to be done to honor this day.
Let’s be clear, Black folks are not a monolith, and so Juneteenth can have different meanings to many of us. As for me, Juneteenth is about acknowledging the lives, the history and legacy of enslaved Black people who endured so much suffering under the oppressive system of slavery; it’s about never forgetting about their lives by telling their stories, appreciating their lives and contributions, and continuing on the work for Black liberation. It’s also about acknowledging the day when enslaved Black people, who had already been legally freed two years prior, were actually granted their “freedom.” I say quote “freedom” because soon after June 19, 1865, Black folks endured the Jim Crow era, continued exploited labor through exploitative work leasing contracts, redlining, the massacre on Black Wall Street, mass incarceration, abusive medical experimentation, police brutality and so much more. All of this and so much more is why Juneteenth is not just about one day. It’s about acknowledging the necessity for a continued commitment to Black liberation.
The pain that our ancestors endured didn’t end on June 19, 1865, thus the commitment to Black liberation must remain consistent and ongoing.
It’s certainly not a day for brands, mostly owned and managed by white people, to create Juneteenth products or sales that do nothing to advance progress for Black folks. These antics drive sales which continue to grow wealth for white folks — much like slavery. Certainly, this isn’t the time to replicate systems of oppression. (There’s never a time, actually.) Instead, this is a time to get committed to dismantling oppression. It’s a day to acknowledge the pain and suffering that our ancestors endured while honoring the legacy of their lives and committing to Black liberation.
To me, the way that Black folks want to honor this day is totally our choice. It could look like resting, playing, sharing meals with friends and so on. But for non-Black folks, especially white folks, this is not a day of leisure, this is a day of service. Instead of ignoring the significance of this day, I would suggest folks decide on ways to honor this day respectfully.
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Make a commitment to Black liberation. Learn about what this means and take action accordingly. There are many classes and resources that can help folks commit to this work. Through my organization, Shine Bright School, we have the Shine Class: Black Liberation and the Black Liberation Course. They both feature the Pursue Black Liberation Challenge that we’re doing again as a community starting on June 19. The challenge allows folks to take action each day in an effort to build a lifelong, daily practice to this work.
2. If you’re a brand, use this time to investigate your policies around pay. This would be a time to get committed to equitable pay.
3. If you’re a brand, how are you supporting Black folks in leadership within your company? How are you supporting other Black folks in your organization to excel?
4. If you’re a parent or work with children, be sure to help them understand why such a holiday as Juneteenth is important and equip them with skills to make commitments to this work as well. You can learn more about this in our Black Liberated Parenting Course.
5. Are you taking the conversations around reparations seriously? Juneteenth would be a great day to create a reparations plan and to get started.
If you notice, all of these suggestions require action that goes beyond what’s convenient and comfortable. We don’t need brands to figure out ways to profit from this day. Instead, make commitments to do this progressive work on Juneteenth and beyond.
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Monique Melton is an educator, published author, international speaker and host of the ‘Shine Brighter Together’ podcast. She is also the founder of the Shine Bright School and Shine Brighter Together Community, which is a community dedicated to healthy relationships and Black liberation. She connects with people from all over the world to teach in topics related to anti-racism, wellness, inner work and relationships.
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