I should clarify — This post is specifically about how white people should commemorate Juneteenth.

And to further clarify — This is just an opportunity to share how I’m planning to commemorate the holiday in the hopes that other folks might take action as well.

With that said, let’s acknowledge that while Juneteenth has been celebrated by Black Americans for over 150 years, it is a new federal holiday and one that many white Americans are newly learning about. There are a lot of discussions and disagreements about how the holiday should be marked and it’ll likely take a few years to settle into a common set of understandings about how to proceed.

So, in the meantime, I thought it was best to listen to the Black community and hear what they were saying about how white people should mark the holiday. So, based on what I’ve heard, here are 4 things I’m doing:

1. There are several Black creators on social media that I’ve learned a lot from. I chose my favorites and joined their Patreons or sent them a gift through the CashApp.
2. I bought a few things from Black owned businesses. In my case, there were some beauty items I’ve been thinking about buying, so I just Googled those items along with the words “Black owned business.”
3. I explained the holiday to my kids to make sure they knew the history, and tonight we’re planning to watch a related documentary.
4. Finally, the Black community wants policy changes, and I will continue to work to protect and expand voting rights.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. By this time next year, I’m sure I’ll have learned more and this list will look different. I encourage you to read about the holiday, but particularly from Black owned media sources.

I hope you find this helpful.

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: Explainers, featured, juneteenth