>>> THE OLDEST KNOWN CELEBRATION
COMMEMORATING THE END OF SLAVERY
IN THE U.S. IS OFFICIALLY A
FEDERAL HOLIDAY.
JUNETEENTH HAPPENED ON JUNE 19,
1865 WHEN UNION SOLDIERS ARRIVED
IN GALVESTON, TEXAS AND INFORMED
ENSLAVED AFRICAN-AMERICANS THAT
THEY WERE FREE.
IT WOULD TAKE ANOTHER SIX MONTHS
BEFORE THE 13th AMENDMENT WAS
RATIFIED ABOLISHING SLAVERY IN
THE FOUR BORDER STATES THAT HAD
NOT BEEN SUBJECTED TO PRESIDENT
LINCOLNS ORDER.
AS PRESIDENT BIDEN SIGNED THE
BILL MAKING JUNETEENTH AN
OFFICIAL FEDERAL HOLIDAY
YESTERDAY, HE CALLED IT ONE OF
THE GREATEST HONORS OF HIS
PRESIDENCY AND HE MADE IT A CASE
FOR ACTION ON HIS BROADER CIVIL
RIGHTS AGENDA.
>> JUNETEENTH NOT ONLY CO MEM
RATES SLAVERY IN AMERICA 150
YEARS -- COMMEMORATES SLAVERY IN AMERICA
COMMEMORATES SLAVERY IN AMERICA
150 YEARS AGO, BUT TRUE EQUITY
WHICH WE CAN DO. THIS WASNT DONE IN THE PAST.
THIS WASNT DONE IN THE PAST.
ITS A CALL FOR ACTION TODAY.
>> TREMAINE IS AN MSNBC
CONTRIBUTOR.
THIS IS THE FIRST FEDERAL
HOLIDAY OF JUNETEENTH.
TELL US HOW THIS MAKES YOU FEEL
AS A LONG-TIME ACTIVIST.
>> THIS TELLS THE BREADTH OF THE
FEEL OF AMERICA WHICH IS THE
BLACK AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.
THEY CANT GET MAJOR REFORM
PASSED, THEY COULDNT GET VOTING
RIGHTS PASSED.
THEY GOT JUNETEENTH PASSED,
WHICH IS GREAT.
BUT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF
AMERICANS TRYING TO GET AMERICA
TO RECOGNIZE JUNETEENTH.
THE MOTHER OF JUNETEENTH, OPAL
LEE
LEE, AND FOR HER TO BE THERE
WHEN
WHEN THE NATIONAL HOLIDAY WAS
SIGNED INTO LAW.
>> THE LORD IS GOING TO HAVE TO
CATCH ME BECAUSE THERE IS SO
MUCH TO BE DONE AND PEOPLE BHOWH
DONT KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE.
I CAN SEE THAT HARD MOMENT ON
THEIR FACE.
IM JUST DELIGHTED AND I JUST
KEEP ON TALKING AND KEEP ON
WORKING WITH PEOPLE UNTIL WE GET
IT RIGHT.
OR UNTIL IM CALLED HOME.
>> THAT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE
PIECES OF SOUND RIGHT THERE.
YOULL HAVE TO CATCH ME.
JUST THE FIGHT IN HER BLOOD AS
SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE FOUGHT TO BE
ACKNOWLEDGED AND REPRESENTED,
AND I KNOW SHES JUST OVERJOYED.
>> IT WAS REALLY SOMETHING TO
WATCH HER EYES LIGHT UP
YESTERDAY IN THE EAST ROOM,
REALIZING THE WORK SHE COMMITTED
HERSELF TO FOR THE PAST TWO
DECADES HAD FINALLY BEEN
REALIZED.
PROFESSOR GLAUB, WE LOOKED FOR
THE ORDER THAT THE UNION GENERAL
PRESENTED TO THE PEOPLE OF
GALVESTON 100 YEARS AGO.
I READ IT AND PART OF IT STOPPED
ME IN MY TRACKS.
IT RAEDSEADS, THE FREEDMEN ARE
ADVISED TO REMAIN QUIETLY AT
THEIR PRESENT HOMES AND WORK AND
THAT THEY WILL NOT BE SUPPORTED
IN IDLENESS.
THIS WAS FREEDOM WITH A CAVEAT.
GIVE US A SENSE OF HOW THIS
RESONATES WITH YOU.
I HEARD YOU SAY YESTERDAY ON ONE
OF OUR BROADCASTS THAT FOR YOU
JUNETEENTH IS REALLY AN EXAMPLE
OF OUR DEMOCRACY NOT BEING FULLY
COMPLETE.
>> RIGHT, SO WITHIN THAT ORDER,
GEOFF, IS THIS REALLY
INTERESTING TENSION, BECAUSE THE
SENTENCE BEFORE THAT TALKS ABOUT
THIS INVOLVES THE ABSOLUTE
EQUALITY OF PERSONAL RIGHTS AND
THE RIGHTS OF PROPERTY BETWEEN
FORMER MASTERS AND SLAVES.
AND THEN THE QUALIFICATIONS
FOLLOW.
SO WHAT WE SEE IMMEDIATELY IS
THAT THE CLAIM ABOUT ABSOLUTE
EQUALITY HAD NOT YET SETTLED
INTO COMMON SENSE AND STILL
TODAY HAS NOT BEEN WIDELY
ACCEPTED BY SOME SEGMENTS OF THE
SOCIETY.
SO WHAT WE SEE IN THAT LITTLE
MOMENT, RIGHT, ARE THE HINTS OF
WHAT WILL THEN JUSTIFY, RIGHT,
WHAT WILL BECOME SHARECROPPING,
WHAT WILL BECOME LEASING, SO WE
SEE ALREADY THAT THERE IS,
WITHIN THE GENERAL ORDER NUMBER
3, RIGHT, THIS EFFORT TO
CONTINUE TO CONSCRIPT BLACK
LABOR IN ORDER TO BUILD AND
PRODUCE A SURPLUS VALUE FOR THE
SOUTH.
SO THE KRACONTRADICTIONS ARE
ACTUALLY OUTLINED.
NEVERTHELESS, WE STILL PUT THE
RESILIENCY OF THE PEOPLE, WE PUT
BEFORE US WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF
JUNETEENTH, WE STILL ASSERT THE
DIGNITY AND STANDING OF BLACK
PEOPLE AND WE REFL IN THEVEL IN
DIGNITY AND HUMANITARIAN OF ALL
PEOPLE.
THATS WHY ITS EVERYBODYS
HOLIDAY.
>> ON THE ONE HAND ITS GREAT
THERE IS NOW A FEDERALLY
RECOGNIZED JUNETEENTH.
ON THE OTHER HAND, ITS NOT
GREAT THAT JUNETEENTH ALSO
DOESNT STOP THE SYSTEMATIC
DISEN FRAN
DISENFRANCHISING OF PEOPLE WHEN
THEY VOTE.
IT ALSO DOESNT STOP A POLICE
OFFICER FROM SHOOTING AND
KILLING A BLACK MAN AND
POTENTIALLY GETTING AWAY WITH
IT.
>> YOURE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
AT THE HEART OF JUNETEENTH IS
THIS: DELAYED FREEDOM.
THE TIME LAG BETWEEN JANUARY
1st, 1863, EMANCIPATION
PROCLAMATION, AND JUNE 19th,
1865.
THAT TIME LAG FORESHADOWS THE
DELAY IN JUSTICE WITH REGARD TO
RACE MATTERS IN THIS COUNTRY.
TO THIS DAY WE HAVE 48 STATES
ENTERTAINING CLOSE TO 400 PIECES
OF LEGISLATION AIMED TO
DISENFRANCHISE FOLKS.
WE SEE OVER AND OVER AGAIN
SYSTEMIC RACISM DEFINING
OUTCOMES AFFECTING THE DIS
DISADVANTAGED
DISADVANTAGED.
WE HAVE YET AS A NATION TO HAVE
ABSOLUTE EQUALITY BETWEEN FORMER
MASTERS AND FORMER SLAVES.
WE HAVE YET TO COMMIT OURSELVES
TO THAT.
AND CONFRONTING THAT FACT
ACTUALLY OPENS THE DOOR FOR US
TO IMAGINE OURSELVES OTHERWISE.
THATS THE KEY.
IT GIVES US THE POSSIBILITY TO
THINK OF AMERICA DIFFERENTLY.
>> TRYMAINE, I UNDERSTAND FOR
YOUR PODCAST YOUVE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT WHAT PRESIDENT BIDEN WANTS
TO SEE ON HIS AGENDA.
HE SAID JUNETEENTH IS A DAY OF
REFLECTION, A DAY OF
CELEBRATION, BUT ITS ALSO A DAY
OF ACTION.
>> THAT LAG HAS BEEN INSULTING
FOR SO MANY OF US AS BLACK
AMERICANS, CERTAINLY.
BUT IT ALSO SPEAKS TO THE IDEA
THAT THERE IS A FULLNESS IN
AMERICA AND A FREEDOM OF
DEMOCRACY THAT WE HAVE YET TO
HAVE ACCESS TO.
HUNDREDS OF BLACK AMERICANS
DONT HAVE ACCESS TO THE
FRANCHISE BECAUSE THEY DONT
HAVE A VOTING MEMBER IN
CONGRESS.
SO THEYRE SEEING THIS TANDEM
FIGHT OF DELIBERATION.
ON THE ONE HAND WITH TAXATION IN
CONGRESS, BUT ALSO THE EFFORT
TO, AGAIN, GET CLOSER TO FULL
BLACK LIBERATION AND THOSE
THINGS ARE COMBINED.