Today is Juneteenth and just as I predicted this newly added Federal holiday has quickly been met with contempt by a portion of this country that continues to refuse not just history but its residual affects on society. I wrote about my skepticism last year. It’s a holiday evoking denial, confusion, and anger in people who refuse to understand what it all means.

Scrolling through the cesspool that is Twitter, I’ve seen many detestable comments under articles, some of which aren’t explicitly about the holiday but just acknowledging that today is Juneteenth and Father's Day. Lots of people are saying “Juneteenth isn’t a thing,” and “Who cares,” and “What do you expect when pandering to specific groups?” That last genius comment was in reference to a CNN article that outlined how corporations were failing to appropriately support this holiday. Whenever I hear someone say “pandering” when it comes to race, it makes me think just how completely disconnected that person must be from reality to believe that. It’s one of those things you hear people say and wonder what their experience is like where they’d seriously consider that black people are being “pandered” to. I can’t dwell on it too long or my head would explode, and I’m trying to maintain my equilibrium today.

The thing is how could we expect people to understand this holiday when they can’t respect that the past happened and are actively rallying against teaching it in schools. It’s enraging to think that people who don’t believe in Juneteenth are allowed to reap the benefits of a Federal holiday. I say if you don’t believe in the day, make sure you clock in nice and early tomorrow and get to work. If you can’t work, certainly don’t enjoy this day off because you don’t believe it should exist.

It’s also frustrating because it seems to fall on black people to have to explain the significance of the holiday, again putting the effort and energy on us to expound on something that’s been documented and is searchable. It’s also weird having to explain what it is in the workplace because you really don’t know who is willing to learn and who is simply not. We have this holiday and it is inexorably linked to race/racism in a country who continues to be resistant to serious conversations about race and how it continues to plague our society. The holiday is new, so I have hope that the conversations around it will evolve, but for now we have a bunch of ignoramuses denouncing its existence.

Online there is a lot of resistance to Juneteenth, but as I like to remind myself periodically, the internet is not representative of the entire nation. In fact, my mom went to an event last night to celebrate Juneteenth in Miami that looked really awesome. It was a free event for the public and you could tell there was a lot time and thought put into its production. So, while the internet trolls are trying to justify the insignificance of this wholly enormous historical event, celebrations are still being had across the country. If you’re celebrating today, I would love to know how in the comments below!

I will certainly be celebrating today by doing some reading, resting, and raging. Slavery took so much from my ancestors but they persevered and even found joy in the darkest, deadliest, and most diabolical times. This means that I cannot take anything I have for granted and can never forget the power in our people. I am descended from a strength and resilience that is steadfast and unbreakable. I am also descended from tenderness and love that knows no bounds. I love where I came from. From my ancestors in the south to my ancestors in Jamaica. I am so grateful to have so much history, so many dreams, and so much magic coursing through my veins.

May your Juneteenth celebration bring happiness, be full of jubilation, and reinvigorate you in unexpected ways. And if you need to explain what Juneteenth is to someone, just send them this link and walk away. Nobody should be disturbing your peace today. With all that’s happened to the black community in the last six months, I truly hope we take this day to love each other and where we come from.