Removing the Shackles
On January 1st, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln sought the freedom of enslaved Black Africans. It took another 2 YEARS for all Black Africans to be “legally” released from the shackles of their insecure abusers (specifically in Texas). Thus, on June 19th, 1865, in Galveston Texas marked the last day and location where Black Africans “learned” they were free from Union Major General Gordon Granger:
As a result, Juneteenth became this day’s overarching theme in Texas also known as “Second Independence Day”, “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day”. The word Juneteenth is a portmanteau of “Black English”, which is a word that fuses sounds and combines the meaning of two or more distinct words. Therefore, Juneteenth is a day of remembrance and celebration of our ancestors and to learn our history.
June + nineteenth = Juneteenth
The curved surface on the flag represents a new horizon and possibility for African Americans.
The flag is emblazoned with a star, a callback to the U.S. flag demonstrating Black people are free in all 50 states and a nod to Texas, “The Lone Star State.”
The star is surrounded by a burst, which represents new opportunities that lie ahead for Black people. African American history is American history, and the flag reminds us of just that.
The date “June 19, 1865” was added in 2004 so no one would ever forget what the flag stood for. (Flag source)
I could unpack questionable meanings of the flag but maybe next year. Thus, the above are normative storylines stemming from this celebration that is now a federal holiday since June 20, 2022, after a 2021 executive order from President Joe Biden.
In this chronicle, I wanted to reveal 4 less-critiqued narratives:
The dual reaction of Abraham Lincoln.
Black African narratives in Texas.
White saviour & products of their time.
Are the shackles removed? (peace & liberation)
As Flippin’ & Vibin’ content seek to unravel and transform narratives, I invite vibers to critically reflect on these upcoming “independence” holidays as further rehumanising work must persist…Because collectively, we ain’t at peace or liberated!
The Dual Reaction of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Gordon Granger
Joe Biden
Abraham Lincoln, Gordon Granger, and Joe Biden are 3 prominent figures mentioned in Juneteenth discourse. To be honest, they are often mentioned as a saviour role in the classroom, blogs, and articles with very little context whilst detailing the commencement of Juneteenth. For example, these 3 are acknowledged and/or glorified for either the abolition of slavery and the declaration of Juneteenth without a clear understanding of why each participated in ‘anti-racist’ endeavours, and as if they alone were the driving forces (individualism is a common practice in the West that ignores the contributions of others). Abraham Lincoln supported Black colonisation and wanted African Americans to go to Africa and/or Haiti at one point as Abraham believed:
“There is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races from living together on terms of social and political equality.”
This was stated in 1858 and despite his admiration that Black Africans should be free (and we should be in connection to our homeland) Abraham believed the White race was superior to the Black race. Other sources go in-depth into Abraham’s racist and anti-racist logic (Wilson, 2010), but Lincoln’s views clearly underpin the Flippin’ the Script framework’s dual reactions where authentic resiliency (counter-racist) and false resiliency (accepting white as superior) intertwine.
Black African Narratives in Texas
Consequently, during these historic events, the narratives of Black Africans who were enslaved are rendered to abuse or celebration. Less attention prioritises their resistance.
Research suggests the Slavery Abolition Act (1833) in Britain and the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) were legalised for moral, government, and economic interests (sugar and cotton) rather than slave resistance. During the 17th-19th centuries in the USA and British West Indies, there were 300+ revolts. I won’t overindulge in the historical elements of the Haiti Revolution or the Nat Turner rebellion but understand that these were legendary events which turned the tide for African freedom and European exploitation due to impacting the trade of goods. Even writing the “Nat Turner Rebellion” makes me cautious because this glorifies an individual, as mentioned, without acknowledging others who fought alongside Nat Turner.
Furthermore, well-known Black folks who are cited during Juneteenth are Felix Haywood, Susan Merritt, and Anderson & Minerva Edwards. All of these names lived in Texas where the news of the EP “hadn’t reached” their location because (i) messengers were murdered on their way to deliver the news, (ii) insecure abusers withheld this information to continue their labour, and (iii) Federal troops waited for abusers to benefit from the last harvest (PV...You know). However, their narratives debunk such a myth.
Felix Haywood
Many myths on people in Texas not knowing about EP is debunked by narratives such as Felix Haywood’s: “We knowed what was goin’ on in [the war] all the time…We all felt like heroes, and nobody had made us that way but ourselves.” Felix continued to associate freedom with being rich and in fact richer than Whites because they knew how to do the labour, but “We soon found out that freedom could make folks proud but it didn’t make ‘em rich.” This leaves us contemplating how freedom was interpreted in some our ancestors’ consciousness.
Susan Merritt
“You could see lots of [Black bodies] hangin’ to trees in Sabine bottom right after freedom.” This alternative narrative of Susan Merritt reveals the violence nd backlash of the KKK, enslavers, and White insecurity ravaging Black people and their communities.
Anderson & Minerva Edwards
The Edwards narrative also debunk the myth of enslavers in Texas being unaware of the EP, as their enslaver “didn’t tell us we’s free till a whole year after we was.”
Other Black African narratives illustrated from Bay (2000) in The White Image in the Black Mind, and my alma mater HBCU Prairie View A&M, Juneteenth: “The Emancipation Proclamation — Freedom Realized and Delayed”:
“Us n****** was set free on June 19, 1865. We was told dat we was goin’ to git sixty acres and a mule. We never git nothin’ lak dat.”
“The n****** bellered and cried and didn’t want to leave massa. He talked to us and said as long as he lived we’d be card for, and we were. … He willed every last one of his slaves something. … My mammy got two cows and a pair of horses and a wagon and 70 acres of land.”
“Before the war massa didn’t ever say much about slavery, but when he heard we were free, he cussed and said, `God never did intend to free n*******,’ and he cussed til he died. But he didn’t tell us we were free til a whole year after we were.”
Where Douglass had seen emancipation as a positive apocalypse, at least one slave owner had a very different vision: “Missy found Marster Billy dead in the shed, with his throat cut and the razor beside him. There was a piece of paper saying he did not care to live because the n****** were free.”
“The Master he says we are all free, but it don’t mean we is white. And it don’t mean we is equal. Just equal to work and earn our own living and not depend on him for no meats and clothes.”
“I liked living in slave time better than in these days because people do not know the value of a good negro now…A good negro was worth a thousand or twelve hundred dollars in slave time, but white folks would just soon take a shotgun and shoot him now-days.” Louisiana ex-slave named Prince.
“We were set loose like animals.”
White Saviour & Product of their Time
The idea of three people being Great emancipators is worth exploring. It’s important to decipher who is celebrated and who is being silenced and/or hidden from the mainstream. We must always critically reflect on our ancestors who fought and died for our freedom and continued resilience towards liberation. Too often these discussions glorify the same group who initiated and benefitted from our oppression. While these 3 males are pertinent in the Juneteenth discussion, we must be careful of the White saviour role and sharing the next generation images that shadow or oversight the real heroes, sheroes, and theyroes of Juneteenth and beyond.
On a positive note, people like Abraham Lincoln demonstrate and flips the script to the contemporary myth that racist dehumanisers were “product of their time.” While scientific racism and Black inferiority narratives were widespread in society and education, there were plenty of White allies/abolitionists with counter-racist agendas. For a contemporary context, look at what is happening during Trumpism. 100 years from today will society be formulating similar excuses that Trump was a “product of his time” or Florida Governor’s Ron DeSantis pushing the anti-woke agenda or “Stop Woke” law to ban and halt “woke indoctrination.” For example, schools have banned teaching on institutional racism and “divisive concepts” such as White privilege. Also, some universities have removed sociology as a core module and banned African American Studies, smh.
Rob DeSantis is no different from Congressman Frank Clark of Florida. According to Bay (2000) in 1908 Frank Clark was spewing the same doctrine while stating to the House of Representatives that “Black inferiority could be seen in the colour and physical features of the black race,” as well as in the race’s lesser intelligence:
“If God had intended these two races to be equal, He would have so created them…the Caucasian a handsome figure, straight hair, regular features, high brow and superior intellect…while the Negro received low order of intelligence and repulsive features.” (Cited in Bay, 2000)
Sheesh!! And this was almost half a century after Juneteenth. Let us not forget Jim Crow, Redlining, Civil Rights and BLM. With all this, are Black people free and liberated? Is Juneteenth worth celebrating as Black Africans being independent?
Peace or Liberation
We must always commemorate our ancestors’ resilience in the past by remembering the bloodshed and dehumanisation they experienced for us to navigate society today. This is difficult when race equity strategies are still a struggle to implement due to miseducation, insecurity, and resistance underpinning contemporary society’s reactions. The Government and schools are erasing truth-telling in schools (mentioned above) like removing MLK and teaching kids’ enslavement benefitted Black Africans, which creates future dehumanisers. Therefore, are we free and at peace? I’d say not really, as peace means “freedom from disturbance and absence of war.” Contemporary race relations are clearly in opposition to this definition where culture wars and police brutality still illustrate the mental and physical abuse encountered by Black Africans. Thus, the fight for freedom only occurs when we understand each generation’s battle tactics against this war on racism.
Lastly, liberation means “freedom of one’s control.” and the leading strategy of powerholders is to control the minds of the resilient minority, because:
“If you can control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself” - Carter G. Woodson, The Miseducation of the Negro
Black and racially woke folx must continue strategies for rehumanising the self and a collective consciousness to fight White insecurity and the insecure powerholders reinforcing a dehumanising culture. Until then, liberation can only occur when rehumanisation is an everlasting process that involves discomfort, compassion, harmony, and acceptance.
‘Because of the above I still consider myself a Black African who happens to be American (maybe this will change one day). This is controversial to some but enlightening to others. Nonetheless, we should continue fighting for Black peace and liberation and anyone willing to rehumanise and remove the shackles from our enslaved minds for a restorative future. Thank you, ancestors for your resiliency and fighting for our peace and liberation.’ - Dr. X
ONLINE SOURCES
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/black-history-florida-ron-desantis
https://www.journalofthecivilwarera.org/2020/06/juneteenth-and-the-limits-of-emancipation/
https://forward.com/opinion/471597/juneteenth-what-really-happened/
https://history.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/history-education-pss-afamcivil-felix-transcription.pdf
ARTICLES & BOOKS
Bay, M. (2000). The white image in the black mind: African-American ideas about white people, 1830-1925. Oxford University Press.
Wilson, K. H. (2010). Debating the great emancipator: Abraham Lincoln and our public memory. Rhetoric and Public Affairs, 13(3), 455-479.
