This Sunday, June 19 is Juneteenth. This year marks the second year that Juneteenth will be celebrated as a federal holiday. Juneteenth originated in the 1865 announcement by the Union Army to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, that they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation that was signed a year and a half earlier. After years of efforts by activists like Opal Lee to achieve federal recognition, Congress surprisingly approved the measure last year, which President Joe Biden signed just before Juneteenth. This year, amid continuing excitement from Black people and thoughtless decisions by corporations looking to cash in on the newly-recognized holiday, many are questioning what Juneteenth means now and who should be recognized by the holiday.

Global celebration or American day of remembrance?

With public knowledge of Juneteenth growing, the scope of the holiday has been expanded as well, even beyond the United States. Some organizations and individuals have dubbed Juneteeth “A Global Celebration of Freedom,” as noted by actor Billy Porter, one of many celebrities slated to appear at a star-studded celebration at the Hollywood Bowl.

While some people have embraced the globalization of Juneteenth, others reject this interpretation of the holiday. One Twitter user countered that “Juneteenth is for American Descendants of Slavery,” rather than Black people or people of color more generally, adding that “trying to make Juneteeth a global affair is offensive.”

Black enslavement or oppression of people of color?

Author, blogger and activist Hannah Drake posted a tweet on June 7 seeking to center Juneteenth on the history of Black enslavement in the United States rather than a more expansive coverage of other groups or issues.

This statement sparked massive amounts of conversation online, with hundreds of people commenting on Drake’s position and tens of thousands liking or sharing the post. Some agreed with her stance and expressed concern that the holiday would be watered down or its origins obscured. Others felt that it was proper for the holiday to be used as a way of commemorating other instances of oppression and liberation, such as the enslavement and dispossession of Indigenous Americans or the colonization and liberation of people of color in other parts of the world.

American history or Texan history?

In response to Drake’s tweet centering Juneteenth on “enslaved Black people in America,” journalist and self-described storyteller Naima Cochrane further specified that the holiday was about “Enslaved Black people in TEXAS* specifically,” adding that “I think it’s essential the state isn’t disconnected from the holiday.”

In a series of follow-up tweets, Cochrane responded to accusations that she was gatekeeping the holiday, saying that she was simply attempting to protect the history of Juneteenth from being erased or distorted.

Letting white people in?

Journalist Ernest Owens went further than Cochrane in a post last week, stating the unpopular opinion that “Juneteenth was better off remaining a Black Texas holiday that was regionally and culturally embraced by Black people down south.” Owens argues that “corporations, white people, and East/West Coast Black folks who found out about it have exploited/commodified its meaning.”

By contrast, author Touré recently added to the Juneteenth discourse, arguing for the importance of a more expansive recognition of Juneteenth. “If we restrict it to Black history and restrict Juneteenth to Black people then we allow white people to escape having to think about it.”

As Juneteenth’s recognition as a federal holiday leads to more celebration and acknowledgment over the years, the discourse about what the holiday means and who can or should celebrate it is unlikely to end soon.

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