Updated June 2023
In the United States, June 19, is now officially (Thanks, President Biden!) Juneteenth Day, aka Black America’s Independence Day. Have you stocked up on strawberry soda? Are you ready to fire up the grill? Are you confused? If you don’t know how to celebrate Juneteenth Day, or even if you should, do not fear. Check out my Juneteenth 101 primer below and decide for yourself if you want to celebrate this super Black holiday.
Juneteenth 101
You may be scratching your head and saying, I love strawberry soda but, I’m not sure I know what Juneteenth is all about. That’s okay. I’m not judging you. A lot of people have no idea what Juneteenth is, why they should be celebrating it, or where in the world they would find strawberry soda. The sad fact is, anything that has to do with Black people in the US of A is often brushed under the rug, hidden or ignored. You’d have to be a super woke white (or any non-Black) person to have your Juneteenth act together. Heck, I’m Black and only recently learned about the important legacy of Juneteenth. Growing up, my family never celebrated Juneteenth Day.
But it’s never too late to learn a new trick, and it’s never too late to educate yourself about an important part of American history.
And if you’re worried that you’re not Black enough to celebrate, “The Black 4th of July,” ask yourself, “Do I drink green beer on St. Patrick’s Day?”
“Do I eat tacos on Cinco de Mayo?” “Do I eat crepes on Bastille Day? If you answered yes to any of those questions and you’re not Irish, Mexican, or French, then get over your Juneteenth anxiety and figure out how you can pay homage to African American people on their freedom day.
Why do We Celebrate Juneteenth on June 19?
Juneteenth is known as the Black Fourth of July or Black Independence Day, because it wasn’t until June 19, 1865 that the enslaved Black people of Galveston, Texas got word that slavery was abolished and they were officially free. Funny thing, President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation and abolished slavery way back in January, 1863, but word somehow didn’t make it down to Galveston,Texas until two years later.
Why did it take so long for word to travel south? Good question. According to this article in Mental Floss, there are multiple theories for the delay:
“Still, some have struggled to explain the 30-month gap between Lincoln’s proclamation and the enslaved people’s freedom, leading to speculation that some Texans suppressed the announcement. Other theories include that the original messenger was murdered to prevent the information from being relayed or that the federal government purposely delayed the announcement to Texas to get one more cotton harvest out of the enslaved workers. But the real reason is probably that Lincoln’s proclamation simply wasn’t enforceable in the rebel states before the end of the Civil War.”
If you prefer a quick one-minute overview of Juneteenth set to catchy music, check out this Juneteenth video made by the Roots.
How to Celebrate Juneteenth Like a Pro
Now, that you know why people celebrate Juneteenth, the next question is, how does one celebrate? Like should there be fireworks and hot dogs? Is there a particular song to sing? Where does the strawberry soda come in? Don’t worry, I got you.
Red Drinks Rule
Let’s start with the strawberry soda. According to some historians, red foods – strawberry soda, watermelon, red velvet cake – are part of Juneteenth celebrations to symbolize the blood shed in the struggle for freedom. Others say that historically in West Africa, red drinks – often made from hibiscus tea or kola nuts – were always a part of festive celebrations and were carried over to the Americas. Thus, strawberry soda simply became a stand in for those traditional celebratory drinks. Whichever theory speaks to you, I suggest a fresh red beverage for every Juneteenth celebration.
Personally, I love to make strawberry lemonade. I muddle fresh strawberries with either fresh mint leaves or fresh basil leaves and add that to a bottle of my favorite prepared lemonade. I pour the whole thing into a beautiful glass pitcher with ice cubes and feel like total mixologist. To make your lemonade super black, you can substitute or add watermelon cubes to the strawberry muddle. Yum.
What to Eat for Juneteenth Celebrations? Food for the Soul
Here’s the thing, for every Black person you ask, you’re going to get a different answer about what to eat to celebrate Juneteenth. Some people celebrate with traditional barbecue fare, others bring out family favorites. Still, others look to traditional soul food, in commemoration of what enslaved Africans would have been eating in 1865. What does that mean for your celebration? It means you can eat whatever food feeds your soul. Whatever food signifies celebration and freedom. Just be sure to wash it down with that strawberry soda (Strawberry Crush is actually available on Amazon!).
White People Can Celebrate Juneteenth Too But…
How are you going to celebrate?
I’m totally listening.
Peace!
