A Not Black Guide to Juneteenth
So it is the second ever Juneteenth, and you are Not Black (NB). Not even a little bit. And this day seems like it has a kind of almost religious significance to Black people, and frankly, you are very down with that. Black Lives Matter, solidarity forever. But…
But what are you supposed to do? Is it rude to hold events on that day if only NB people are invited? (Only if you are being anti-Black with the event, like you purposely didn’t invite us.) Should you wish Black people “Happy Juneteenth”? (How well do you know these Black people?) Should you guiltily shovel your profits from a white supremacist patriarchy into the pockets of the nearest Black person you know? (Yes, the answer is always yes.)
Celebrating the end of slavery feels…weird. It’s not something that can be consumed or packaged or molded into some insufferable slogan that is printed on tote bags. And so mainstream (read: Not Black) American discourse doesn’t really know what to do with itself.
I am here to help.
I am a bonafide Black person, and you can tell because all I do is wearily try to warn y’all about the dangers of the white supremacy you imbibe constantly. If I were anyone else, I’d leave y’all and move somewhere safe.
Which brings me back to Juneteenth. And freedom.
Black people in this country are not free. We are stuck trying to live our lives in a country that has not ever seen us as people, and tortured and punished us for insisting otherwise. That’s a downer! It is supposed to be!
That means we are very tired — all the fucking time. Did you know that Jackie Robinson was a 4-sport athlete at UCLA? His brother came second to Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics. He had great heart health! Jackie Robinson broke the color line in baseball in 1947 and died of a heart attack in 1972, at the age of 53. 53!!! He was literally tired out by the racism!
This happens to us a lot, actually. Our housing is killing us, or our air is killing us, or the toxic dumping ground they forced us to build next to is killing us — it’s hard to find time to relax, you know?
So for Juneteenth: Give us that. Give us space. To be ourselves. As ourselves as that is. And don’t comment. Don’t have a take or a perspective. Don’t make it about you. Give to us. Give us the space you usually don’t let us occupy.
If you have a capitalist impulse, make sure everything you buy enriches Black people. You know, the people who built the country and the culture for free? Give us your money. Be glad we’re not asking for interest.
Seek out art from Black artists. Support Black-owned shops and brands. If there are celebrations explicitly open to the public: sure, go! It’s not invitation-only.
But for one day, we are going to ask all of you Not Black people to do the one thing you refuse to do every other instance of our limited and finite time on this Earth: Remember that it’s not about you.
P.S.: I don’t know what the salutation for be for this holiday, honestly. Feels like maybe an excited “Juneteenth!” and associated motion will do fine. Nod, wave, Wakanda forever salute — you do you (as long as “you” is not racist).
