A few weeks ago was Independence Day, an acknowledgement of American freedom from British rule. Merriam-Webster defines freedom as “the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action and liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another: INDEPENDENCE”. Every year on July fourth, most Americans celebrate Independence Day. As a society we celebrate this day by barbecuing with friends and family, watching parades, attending baseball games, and marveling at the splendor of spectacular firework displays. But for many other Americans, the 4th of July is a complicated day that doesn’t represent freedom and independence. Enslaved Africans and their descendants were not free in 1776 and would not be released from the bondage of slavery for another 89 years. In fact, many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were enslavers.
Just a few weeks before the fourth of July, we celebrated Juneteenth (June 19th) a day that commemorates freedom from slavery in America. Though the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863, enslaved people in Texas were not actually freed until June 19, 1865. Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, has been celebrated by some African Americans since the late 19th century but remained largely unknown to many until President Biden recently signed a bill into law making it a national holiday (although it’s been an official holiday in Texas since 1979). Interestingly, Juneteenth is celebrated with similar traditions as those on July fourth, like family gatherings that include food, games, and music. This year, there were noticeably more Juneteenth celebrations, parades, and gatherings (and failed product branding and marketing) hopefully giving way to more meaningful conversations about what freedom means and how we live up to our goals of being the land of the free.
America's two days of freedom and independence celebrations can also serve as as time for us to reflect as a society on what it means to truly be free from oppression and how we can continue to progress towards those ideals for ALL. The approximately two weeks between the holidays could allow us to reflect on history as a nation, our goals and ideals as a society and perhaps even serve as an official time for reconciliation.
Aligned is a blog written by the Center for Cancer Research's Office of Equity and Inclusion discussing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility and highlighting various ways we can all be more involved in creating a more diverse scientific workforce. Learn more about CCR's commitment to inclusion.