Juneteenth: Art and Poetry

[minoanmiss]

From here with thanks to TL. (Yes, we know it was the Democrats back then, the two parties had not yet swapped.)

https://poets.org/poems?field_occasion_tid=1912&mc_cid%5B0%5D=9abf88ba47&mc_cid%5B1%5D=9abf88ba47&mc_eid%5B0%5D=UNIQID&mc_eid%5B1%5D=UNIQID

Am I letting the best be the enemy of the good to be .... not "meh", because I am glad it is finally recognized as a national holiday, but not precisely jumping for joy at seeing Juneteenth recognized right after reading about, for example, the banning of the 1619 project?

Comments

[tb]

I like what Cori Bush said about it:

It’s Juneteenth AND reparations.

It’s Juneteenth AND end police violence + the War on Drugs.

It’s Juneteenth AND end housing + education apartheid.

It’s Juneteenth AND teach the truth about white supremacy in our country.

Black liberation in its totality must be prioritized.

[clevermanka]

Am I letting the best be the enemy of the good
No.

[petra]

Commemorating a piece of Black history in the form of a federal holiday: the US has been there & done that. The day didn't make a dent in the racism in and of itself.

We need change on the streets, not just on the calendars. It's not a bad thing having another federal holiday to remind the citizenry that the country has a troubled past, but it's nowhere near enough.

[amaebi]

Feeling you.

Weirdly, I don't think many Republicans are ironists, though I think that McConnell is.

[baranduin]

+1

[baranduin]

No, you're not at all. While I think it's a good thing, I am very cynical about it re Republicans voting for it since it is literally the least they could do.

[acelightning]

Happy Juneteenth! The first I ever heard of such a holiday was in reading about holidays celebrated in other countries, like Trinidad and Barbados - even though it's a USA holiday. But anything that gets people singing and dancing and cooking barbecue in the streets deserves to be celebrated! (I just saw the move "In The Heights" last week.)

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

So much more work to do.

[sabotabby]

I saw it pointed out elsewhere that there was a certain irony in making Juneteenth a national holiday while so many states had legislation against teaching Critical Race Theory.

Anyway. Happy Juneteenth.

[oracne]

I am joyful for the people who expended A LOT of effort to make this day happen.

But yes, also rage-filled about the usual racist crap.

I think the rage will always be inextricable from the joy.