Michigan celebrates Juneteenth as an official state holiday • Michigan Advance
On Wednesday, Juneteenth Day will not be officially celebrated in Michigan for the first time, but it will be the first time it is an official holiday in the state.
“On Juneteenth, we come together to celebrate fundamental American values like freedom and equality, embodied by the stories and heritage of the Black community,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. said when signing legislation last year. “Juneteenth is a moment of celebration and reflection, but also an opportunity to recommit ourselves to action.”
Juneteenth Day recognizes the date of June 19, 1865, when General Gordon Granger of the Union Army landed in Galveston, Texas, and read General Order No. 3, which declared that all slaves were free and that former masters and slaves were absolutely equal in their personal and property rights.
Its significance has long been celebrated in the African-American community as the country’s second Independence Day and marks the last place in the former Confederacy to experience emancipation. Although The National Museum of African American History and Culture has foundIt was only with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment that slavery was actually abolished throughout the United States.
In Michigan, the significance of this day was officially recognized in 2005, when then-Governor Jennifer Granholm signed laws The third Saturday in June is officially declared Juneteenth National Freedom Day in Michigan.
But not until July 2023 legislation The introduction of Juneteenth as an official national holiday was signed by Whitmer, making the state in line with the federal government for the first time this year since President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a national holiday in 2021.
Keith Williams, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party Black Caucus (MDPBC), says the Michigan advance While this is undoubtedly progress, he said he was concerned that this celebration might lose sight of the true meaning of Juneteenth: that the bondage of slavery encompassed more than just the literal chains that kept people in bondage.
“It was good to get the freedom, but we are not economically free,” he said. “When you put everything in perspective, I want to be economically and educationally equal and make sure I get the quality of care that is necessary to grow my community.”
Williams, the is African American and lives in Detroit. leads the City of Detroit Compensation Task ForceHe says there are three words people should think about on Juneteenth: repair, heal and rebuild.
“If we don’t fix all the structural things that have happened to African Americans, we will just be celebrating without any substance behind it. Then we have to heal all the pain that was caused by slavery and everything that has happened to communities like Routing of highway systems through African-American neighborhoods”, Williams said.
Once this is achieved, the reconstruction of these districts can begin, with equal access to capital and investment in an education system that benefits all students, he added.
“I just think it has to be more than just a celebratory situation,” he said. “It has to be about substance.”
One measure of this substance is the representation of the black community in Lansing’s corridors of power.
As Michigan Senate Democrats noted in a press release on Tuesday, State Senator Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit), the Senate Bill 50 to permanently declare Juneteenth a national holiday, is one of three Senate members in the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus (MLBC), along with Senators Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) and Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing).
“Under the leadership of Senators Santana, Geiss and Anthony, Senate Democrats have passed several impactful bills and made significant and historic budget investments aimed at supporting and advancing Michigan’s Black population and their communities,” the press release said.
This “effective legislation” also includes bills to strengthen Michigan’s Hate crime laws And Election protectionas well as Limiting interest rates on payday loansIn addition, the draft laws of all parties involved were enacted, including Santana’s filter first Laws to protect children from lead in drinking water in schools and daycare centers and Anthony’s CROWN Actwhich prohibits racist discrimination based on hairstyle.
White Senator Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) was one of the sponsors of the bill to make Juneteenth a state holiday. She tells the Advance payment that in order for the movement to truly impact society as a whole, it must go beyond the black community, which requires a bit of introspection and an honest examination of our country’s history.
“Especially at this moment when so many people would rather erase or whitewash our history than face it in all its truth, it is so important to recognize Juneteenth,” McMorrow said. “It was an honor to play a small part in making it official in Michigan. This week alone, I have overheard conversations in the store or in public where people have asked each other, ‘What is Juneteenth?’ For far too many people, especially those who look like me, so much of our country’s history has been left out of what we learn in school. Juneteenth is a part of our history and a celebration!”
McMorrow said she hopes Juneteenth will be not only a moment of learning but also a moment of celebration, calling it “a shining example that we can always choose to do the right thing.”
“Even for a wrong as ugly and shameful as slavery, Americans have righted that shameful wrong. This is a cause for celebration, so that it can be an example to all that it is never too late to make things right,” McMorrow said.
In its annual Proclamation for JuneteenthPresident Joe Biden acknowledged the need to fix things through direct economic Action.
“These include the funds we are providing to support predominantly black neighborhoods that were divided and disadvantaged by segregation and racial discrimination; the checks we have used to reduce black child poverty to the lowest levels in history; the changes we have made to the assessment process to eliminate biases that disadvantage black homeowners,” Biden said.
Williams hopes for similar efforts at the state level, pointing out that last year the MDPBC suggested to Governor Whitmer that create a commission to examine the harms of slavery and develop strategies to provide redress.
While Whitmer’s office has not yet responded to this request, Speaker, Stacey LaRouchesent the Advance payment a statement.
“Governor Whitmer is proud to declare Juneteenth a state holiday in Michigan so that we can celebrate fundamental American values like freedom and equality, embodied by the stories and heritage of the Black community. The Whitmer-Gilchrist administration recognizes the work that remains to be done to build a more equitable state, and we will remain focused on making Michigan a place where everyone can thrive,” LaRouche said.
The government has also several efforts to combat racial inequalities, including Determination the Racial Disparities Task Force, which virtually eliminated racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths and Advisory Board for Black Leaders to recommend policies and actions aimed at preventing and eliminating discrimination and racial inequality in Michigan.
Regardless, Williams would like to see both Biden and former President Donald Trump asked during the presidential election whether they would support reparations for the harms of slavery – not in the form of cash handouts, but as a serious effort to overcome the systemic racism that has targeted people of color for generations.
“Joe will say yes. We already know Joe Biden’s history in the African-American community,” said Williams. “I want to know since Donald Trump came to Detroit to a black church and The church was full of white peoplethat would be the time to ask him, “What do you think about reparations?” … It’s going to be confusing. It’s going to be some bullshit like, “We want to make America great again.”
Politics aside, Michigan has already hosted Juneteenth events in Lansing and Detroit. There are other ways for residents to not only celebrate Juneteenth, but also learn more about the issues that impact the holiday.
On Wednesday, The Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit hosts its annual Juneteenth anniversary from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with performances and speakers emphasizing “education, economic independence and community engagement,” while the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy hosts the Dequindre cut from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with storytelling, live music, vendors and food trucks on the eastern border of the Black Bottom Historic District.
Also on Wednesday, Justice 4 All in Grand Rapids’ Juneteenth Jam will take place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Calder Plaza, featuring black-owned food vendors as well as live music performances, children’s games and art exhibits.
Wayne County will also host a Juneteenth Heritage Day on Saturday, 22 June at Nankin Mills Park in Westland from 12pm to 4pm, while Ypsilanti’s annual Juneteenth celebration takes place from Friday to Sunday.
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