Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration acknowledging the ending of physical slavery in the United States. This month marks 152 years since Black America received its own Independence Day. Today, Juneteenth is a holiday or observance celebrated in the U.S. From state-to-state, Black people celebrate with cookouts, parties, family gatherings, comedy shows and parades.
But for some, this year’s festivities were put on hold when the Philando Castile verdict was released. Last year, Officer Jeronimo Yanez shot and killed Castile during a traffic stop. Castile’s girlfriend broadcasted the aftermath of the shooting on Facebook Live and the video went viral catching the attention of Black America. Soon after the #justiceforcastile began trending on various social media sites.
On Friday, June 16, the jury found Minnesota police officer Yanez not guilty of second-degree manslaughter. Officer Yanez was also acquitted of two counts of intentional discharge of firearm that endangers safety.
Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile, had this to say in regards to the verdict:
“Because nowhere in the world do you die from being honest and telling the truth,” she said
“The system continues to fail Black people,” she explained. “My son loved this city and this city killed my son and the murderer gets away! Are you kidding me right now?”
“We’re not evolving as a civilization, we’re devolving. We’re going back down to 1969. What is it going to take?”
In light of the Castile verdict, along with the national killings of Blacks during the anniversary of Juneteenth, the Sentinel spoke with media commentator Jasmyne Cannick to hear her thoughts on the holiday.
“I don’t personally celebrate Juneteenth but I do acknowledge the day annually. Technically and legally – yes we are free. But at the same time, we are the most likely to be incarcerated, receive the death penalty, be unemployed and I could go on,” she said.
She continued, “The question should be what are we doing with the freedom that we have? Each generation since the 60s has benefited from the previous generation’s fight for civil rights. My generation never knew about drinking from separate water fountains, attending segregated schools or Jim Crow. But what have we done for the generations behind us?”
“I think that with our freedom comes a responsibility to continue fighting for social justice on all fronts. Today’s fight isn’t about segregated water fountains and schools. It’s about employment discrimination, fixing the criminal justice system and fighting gentrification,” she said.
During the remainder of the Juneteenth celebration, celebrities, advocates, and political leaders released statements and social media posts commemorating the historical anniversary.
DNC chair Tom Perez and DNC Black Caucus chair Virgie M. Rollins believe America has made progress yet the “journey towards racial equality” is not complete.
“More than a century and a half later, the echoes of slavery still reverberate throughout our society. From traffic stops and job interviews to classrooms, courtrooms, and voting booths, the poison of discrimination keeps our country’s promise out of reach for too many Americans,” read the statement.
“So as we celebrate how far our nation has come on the road toward full equality, we must also recommit ourselves to combatting the relics of injustice that remain. We must continue to expand opportunity and ensure equality for all Americans – no matter the color of their skin. And we must carry on the struggle to form a more perfect union.”
