Juneteenth

            “@#%$!&* Baby Killers!” The epithet joined by a half-crushed beer can, bottle rocket, and offal soared out of a crowd on the other side of West Colfax Ave. in Denver, Colorado. It was the summer of 1981 and two friends of mine, fellow service members, and I were hoofing it back to Lowery, Air Force Base in the middle of the night. We’d attended a midnight movie, forgetting that the city buses stopped running at midnight. Being young and in shape we were unfazed by the prospect of the several-mile hike back to the barracks. However, we were surprised at the vehement treatment by the late-night crowds. In the days of long-haired rockers our buzz cuts identified us as military as clearly as if we’d worn our uniforms. We made it back to the barracks after a long and interesting night, but that is another story for another time. What really stuck with me was the hurt and anger I felt at being targeted by my appearance and nothing else.

            That experience has given me a small insight into the daily struggles that people of color face. Unlike my fellow citizens of color, I eventually left the military and grew a beard, and unless I wear my “Army-Retired” hat no one can really tell that I was once a soldier. Societal thoughts and practices eventually shifted, and thanks replaced curses. Unfortunately for my fellow citizens of color they don’t change, and our culture still suffers from lingering prejudice, which is why Juneteenth is so important.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

            While progress has been made, we have not arrived at that long-anticipated day Dr. King spoke of so eloquently. Those of color and other marginalized populations still suffer the indignities of prejudice. Often and in many ways, the playing field is tilted away from them. They still suffer from, often unseen, systems which make progress achingly difficult, if not impossible. To reach the goal of content of character we must continually strive for it, and that is why Juneteenth is so important.

            Remembering and celebrating Juneteenth helps reinvigorate our commitment to equality and opportunity. The hoary hand of prejudice often rises out of the tomb of historical eradication and must be re-slain and re-entombed. Sadly, the stream of human depravity flows through each generation. We cannot simply dust off our hands and say, “The job is done.” Juneteenth reminds us to find and root out what remains of societal and cultural prejudice. In many ways we’ve come far, let us not grow lax and let lingering hatred erode our progress. Each Juneteenth offers us an opportunity to think and reapply ourselves to the work of creating a more noble culture. Looking around provides us ample opportunities to address this centuries-old problem, ample opportunities to build a better society, ample opportunities to make a land where all can breathe free. Juneteenth is a good day to pause and recommit ourselves to the work still required.