Geoff: Tomorrow marks the second
time that juneteenth, which
honors the emancipation of
enslaved African-Americans, is
being observed as a federal
holiday.
But some people are still
figuring out how best to mark
that holiday.
My colleague John yang spoke
with two organizers about
juneteenth's meaning.
John: Geoff, juneteenth dates
back more than a century.
It's gained traction in recent
years with the police killings
of George Floyd and breonna
Taylor.
And it's come to mean different
things to different people.
Two perspectives now from
athenia Rodney, founder of
juneteenth, nyc, and Melissa
Rohlfs, an organizer of
juneteenth events in San Bruno,
California.
Melissa and athenia, thank you
very much for joining us.
Athenia, I'd like to start with
you, and if you could just tell
us a little bit about sort of
your personal experience or
history with juneteenth.
When did you first become aware
of it and learn about its
meaning?
Athenia: Sure.
Well, I first became aware from
my best friend when I was in
high school.
She talked about juneteenth and
black solidarity day.
And then I went to college and
it became something that became
more prominent to me because a
lot of people would ask
questions and I didn't know the
answer.
So it forced me to really learn
and understand my history.
And when I came back to New York
from being away from college, I
wanted to make sure that others
knew the same because I didn't
feel like it was something that
was being taught in the school
system.
And it felt like the only way
that we would be able to learn
it is if we taught each other.
John: Melissa, how about you?
How did you first become aware
of juneteenth and learn about
its meaning?
Melissa: Yeah, I didn't grow up
learning about it in school and
certainly not celebrating it as
a child.
But I have always been involved
in my community in terms of
culture and art.
So it's been very recent as I've
learned about the history of
juneteenth, and I was excited to
incorporate it into my own
community and talk to others
about incorporating it, you
know, just locally as a
celebration.
John: And athenia, how do you
think this is best marked, best
commemorated?
Is it a day of celebration?
Is it a day of reflection?
Is it a call to action for the
future?
Athenia: I think this day should
be marked with all of those.
It is a day of celebration for
all of the history that we have
been able to achieve and the new
marks that we've been able to
make, the strides we've been
able to make.
It is also a day of reflection,
to think about those who lost
their lives and think about the
blood that was shed, to think
about slavery in itself and how
it impacts and still continues
to impact us now.
And also, it's about unity.
It's about how we are coming
together as a community and how
we continue to grow what we're
doing so that we become more
successful.
John: And Melissa, tell me about
when you organized events in San
Bruno, what you thought about
and how you thought about how
these events should be held?
Melissa: Well, for me, I was
invited to help plan the
celebration with city employees
who really lead cultural and
arts programming for the
community.
And in our earliest
conversations, one of the things
that was important to me was I
said, I think it's important to
celebrate black joy, black
community, and black culture the
way we celebrate those things
for lots of other communities.
And I think that message
resonated with a neighbor who
was also helping to plan the
event, with the staff, with the
city employees.
So it really talked about it
being a celebratory event and a
little like a picnic that you
might see on the 4th of July.
John: And athenia, we've seen
merchants getting into the act.
JCPenney, I know, is advertising
juneteenth date sales.
We even had Walmart marketing
juneteenth ice cream.
What do you make of that?
Athenia: Part of my main mission
really has been since it became
become a national holiday, is
that it doesn't become
commercialized, but it's more or
if it does become
commercialized, whether it's
through using those who are
creating things in their own
communities.
So, for example, if Walmart
would have contacted a business
that was creating ice cream
themselves, that was their
brand, that was their business
and what they were doing, and
then they said to them, hey, how
can we help to improve what
you're doing?
How can we put what you're doing
on our shelves?
I think that would have been a
better way to kind of do this.
John: Melissa, but I would
imagine your focus also is that
you want people to remember the
real meaning of how this day
started.
What was the original
commemoration of this day?
Do you worry that that might get
lost over the years?
Melissa: No.
I think, you know, the
Independence day holiday, we all
have barbecues and cookouts and
things, but we remember why, you
know, those fireworks that we
enjoy, they're just beautiful
now, are a reminder of the
battles that were fought.
I think it is important to
explain the history lesson.
And certainly in San Bruno's
celebration, there was a
discussion and speakers that
talked about the history, but it
was overall just a happy
celebration.
John: And athenia, how about
you?
Do you worry that, as the years
go by, that the sort of the
central meaning of this day may
get lost?
Athenia: I do.
I am concerned about that
because I feel like with martin
Luther king day, with black
history month, I feel like it
has gotten lost in translation,
so to speak.
And that's why we have focused
our organization on three
pillars.
And one of our main pillars is
education.
And then the second is
empowerment, and the third is
edutainment, where we're
education, educating through
entertainment.
John: Athenia and Melissa, thank
you very much.
Athenia: Thank you.
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