I grew up celebrating Juneteenth, and I don’t want to see it become another commercialized holiday

Growing up in Texas, one of my favorite holidays was Juneteenth.

Slavery in Texas officially ended on June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston were emancipated. Black Texans first began celebrating Juneteenth in 1867. In 1980, Texas became the first state to declare June 19 a holiday, and while I enjoyed seeing the fireworks on July Fourth as a child, it couldn’t compare to the camaraderie, the celebrations, the history, and the food our communities shared on Juneteenth.

This is the first year that Juneteenth will be widely celebrated as a federal holiday, and, frankly, it’s a little surreal. Although I’m happy that more people will learn the history of this holiday, I am also worried about how this expansion will alter its premise. For years, I’ve been concerned that if Juneteenth became a national holiday, it would become commodified.

In fact, during a 2020 panel, Delaware Gov. John Carney remarked that I seemed to be a Texan who didn’t want to share the holiday with the rest of the country. I told him that I wanted the essence of Juneteenth to remain, but I feared what Juneteenth would become once it was a mainstream holiday.

This year, we’ve begun to see retailers offer Juneteenth-related decorations, T-shirts, and other items. Some of these products, such as Walgreens’ new Juneteenth greeting card line and Cognella’s curated book collection on the African American experience, maintain the traditions of Juneteenth. On the other hand, some attempts at cashing in on Juneteenth, such as Wal-Mart’s short-lived Juneteenth ice cream flavor and a now-canceled “Juneteenth Soul Food and Market Festival” event in Arkansas featuring an all-white panel, were obvious gaffes.

To me, Juneteenth is sacred. Over the years, I’ve celebrated the traditions either privately or publicly in different states, and even attended a Juneteenth celebration in Cape Coast, Ghana. While Juneteenth in Ghana looked quite different, I was honored that Ghanaians would attempt to honor this African American tradition.

During my visit, I went to the winding dungeons of the Elmina castle, where captured humans were held before being shuttled across the Atlantic to fuel the plantation economy. Although I’d visited the quarters of enslaved people in the U.S., Senegal, and elsewhere, nothing prepared me for the gravity — and the sheer darkness — of these holding areas in Ghana. Celebrating Juneteenth there was a Sankofa of sorts, where you go back to retrieve your history to inform your present.

“I’m not sure what to expect now that our state holiday has become a federal holiday.”

I’m not sure what to expect now that our state holiday has become a federal holiday. However, I do hope that those who wish to celebrate it take the time to learn and honor the traditions. Juneteenth embodies liberation, celebration, and freedom for Black Americans. Perhaps, too, new celebrants can take the opportunity to discover other aspects of African American history and experiences, and think about racial equity in this country.

Spend your Juneteenth time off wisely. If you don’t wish to celebrate the holiday, or even if you oppose it, then, in the spirit of Tabitha Brown, “Don’t go messing up someone else’s day.” If you want to celebrate Juneteenth but are unsure about where to start, you can begin by researching online sites such as the Juneteenth Legacy Project here and here. Also, talk to Black Texans and African Americans from other parts of the country who grew up celebrating the holiday.

In recent years, there have been more celebrations, keynotes, and other events on Juneteenth. I have been gratified to see interest grow, and have given talks and participated in panels. I hope that in my own modest way, I can help others to see the significance and sacredness of Juneteenth.

Donna A. Patterson is a professor at Delaware State University and a fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C.