I’m happy Juneteenth is a federal holiday. But don’t let it be whitewashed | Akin Olla

We should celebrate the new holiday, while resisting attempts to co-opt its meaning and render it empty ceremony

On 17 June, Joe Biden signed a bill turning Juneteenth, 19 June, into a federal holiday. Juneteenth, a celebration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans after the formal end of the US civil war, began in Texas in 1866 and has long been observed by many Black Americans.

The US government's belated decision to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday is a testament to the impact of the current iteration of the perpetual movement for Black American liberation. Unfortunately, it may also be another step in the process to water down symbols of liberation: treating the brutalities of racism as a crime of the past instead of an ongoing project which both major political parties have helped helm. We should celebrate Juneteenth, while resisting attempts to co-opt its meaning and render it empty ceremony.