(Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images)I first learned of Juneteenth when I began lesson planning for an African-American Literature class I taught to high school students. I was astonished and angered that such a historical event was never taught during my high school and college years. I attended a predominantly black high school and an HBCU in the south. It seemed egregious that this would be just overlooked and now believe it was just another piece of history hidden in plain sight.
Juneteenth originated 153 years ago today when General George Granger delivered the news of freedom to the slaves in Galveston, Texas a small town about an hour southeast of Houston. Some believe it took two years to spread the word because plantation owners in the deep south were still angry about losing the Civil War and wanted to exploit their slaves as long as they could.
For more than 150 years they built their wealth and livelihood on an oppressive system where our ancestors were mere pieces of property to them and their families. The truly horrific truth is that these same types of acts are being perpetrated on our people and in our communities and still reverberate throughout our justice and economic systems today.
It’s essential that we educate our kids and ourselves about our proud and resilient history. We can do that by all the usual methods of learning: reading books, watching movies and visiting museums that explain history from our perspective. When we are exposed to the struggles and achievements of our ancestors, we get to see the strength and unbreakable spirit of a group of people who were kidnapped from their homeland and ripped of their identity and heritage.
We also come to gain a greater understanding of those who wanted to persevered their way of living no matter how inhumane others may have been treated. They vehemently wanted things to go back to how it used to be and enacted laws and corrupt systems to ensure that happened. It’s insane how people still think and act that way and feel justified to do so under our current leadership. But we, as always, are able to endure and overcome these adversities just as our enslaved ancestors did.
It’s vital that we share our history and our stories with our family in order to preserve our sense of self and encourage future generations to aim higher no matter the obstacles that may be placed in their way just as those who survived the injustices of our former and current institutions of slavery did and continue to do.
Sheryl Shields is a Master Life Coach who helps teachers and their bosses battle burnout, rekindle their passion or discover their next career. She believes every student deserves a passionate teacher and offers workshops, classes, and retreats to help them do just that. She recently self-published her second book.
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