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.”

Unpopular Opinion: But #Juneteenth was better off remaining a Black Texas holiday that was regionally and culturally embraced by Black people down south.

Corporations, white people, and East/West Coast Black folks who found out about it have exploited/commodified its meaning.

— Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) June 8, 2022

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.”

Here’s why white people should be part of Juneteenth celebrations—because white people should be acknowledging that slavery happened. Many of them would love to not do that. It’s valuable for us to have them acknowledge it and see it as something that still impacts us today.

— Touré (@Toure) June 15, 2022

Slavery isn’t Black history. It’s American history. 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.

— Touré (@Toure) June 15, 2022

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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