Caribbean pols celebrate Juneteenth Holiday

Caribbean elected officials in New York on Monday joined the nation in celebrating Juneteenth Holiday, also known as “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day” in the United States.

Juneteenth marks the date in 1865 when news of the abolition of slavery finally reached the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

Juneteenth has since spread its significance and celebrations to different states, and now it is a Federal Holiday, signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021.

Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair, New York State Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte-Hermelyn, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, said that Juneteenth is “a holiday of deep historical significance commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans.

“Let us look back at the past, acknowledge the challenges of the present, and commit ourselves to a better future for Brooklyn,” she told Caribbean Life on Monday. “As we celebrate our nation’s emancipation, let us also embrace it as an opportunity to reflect on our nation’s history and explore how we can contribute to build a better future for Brooklyn.

“The significance of this holiday is deeply intertwined with the work we carry out every day in the Brooklyn Democratic Party,” added Bichotte-Hermelyn, who represents the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn. “The structural racism that originated during the unspeakably immoral era of slavery persists today in various forms directly affecting the Black community.

“Vast inequities and racial gaps still persist with economic prosperity, healthcare access, voting rights and far more,” she added. “The impact is profound. This is why our unwavering focus on uplifting all Brooklynites involves the elimination of disparities disproportionately affecting the Black community — and drives our efforts.

“Together, let us look back on the past, acknowledge the challenges of the present, and commit ourselves to building a better future for Brooklyn and beyond,” Bichotte-Hermelyn said.

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams described Juneteenth as “a celebration — of freedom, of empowerment, of resilience, of the strength and successes of the Black community in this country.

Caribbean American New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.Photo courtesy Office of New York City Public Advocate

“At the same time, it is also a reminder — of where we’ve been, where we’re going, and how far we still have to go,” said the son of Grenadian immigrants. “Like many Americans of African ancestry, I find myself in a space of simultaneously celebrating the recognition of Juneteenth, while also understanding that it pales in the context of what was demanded but never delivered.

“Many corporate organizations and government institutions are eager, especially today, to lift up Black individuals in high positions, to mark a show of progress on racial equity,” Williams added. “And it is certainly progress, and welcome.”

But he warned that “we cannot conflate the success of individuals with the overall success of the entire Diaspora.

“If one person succeeds, and not a community with them, that success is limited, and can be used to obscure and perpetuate injustice,” the Public Advocate said. “We need a focus on power and progress not just individually but systemically.

“In the 158 years since Juneteenth began with the proclamation of freedom for enslaved Blacks in Galveston, Texas, we have marched forward, persevering through hardship and progressing toward true liberty and justice,” Williams continued. “Let us march on till victory is won. “Today, we celebrate the cause of freedom and the fight for liberation and justice; tomorrow, we work to build a better New York City and nation.”

According to History.com, in what is now known as Juneteenth, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War was over and slavery in the United States was abolished.

“A mix of June and 19th, Juneteenth has become a day to commemorate the end of slavery in America,” it said. “Despite the fact that President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was issued more than two years earlier on Jan. 1, 1863, a lack of Union troops in the rebel state of Texas made the order difficult to enforce.

“Some historians blame the lapse in time on poor communication in that era, while others believe Texan slave-owners purposely withheld the information,” it added.

For many African Americans, June 19 is considered an independence day, History.com said.

Before 2021, it said nearly all 50 states recognized Juneteenth as a state holiday.

On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed legislation officially declaring it a federal holiday.