Juneteenth 

Juneteenth’s history began on June 19, 1865. The executive order known as the emancipation proclamation was issued approximately two years prior. However, it was not implemented in places still under Confederate control. Texas was the final holdout. Not until nearly two years later on June 19, 1865 when Union troops arrived and announced that the state’s 250,000 plus slaves were finally free was it fully realized. Juneteenth has long since been celebrated in the African American community and serves as our country’s second Independence Day. Juneteenth finally became a federal holiday in 2021. Sadly, what should be an uncontroversial day of pause, reflection, and celebration has instead become entangled in controversy and political tension.

I grew up in a diverse pocket of Southern California which mimicked the diversity in my own family of origin. My family was riddled with racial tensions and at times outright racism. My earliest recognition of this was as a very young child. I was playing at the park with my African American grandfather and he was chasing me. Someone confronted him for chasing a seemingly white child and was ultimately dumbfounded to discover he was my grandfather. My grandfather did not bother to explain he was not my biological grandfather which from my perspective today was wise. Better to let them wrestle with why diversity was so difficult to grasp. It was also comforting to me as a child to know that he saw me as his own given the chaos of my childhood. He was and still is the only positive male role model in my life. In fact, I did not just want to be like him I wanted to look like him. Partly because of who he was to me and partly because I wondered if then the stares and comments would stop.

He passed away when I was young, but the tensions did not end in my family nor in the world. In fact, of late things feel particularly tense. It is difficult to find the right words and in today’s climate it may feel best to not say anything at all. It is too important, however, to stay silent. We must process the pain and anger collectively to pave the way for healing and forgiveness. 

Here at PCS we are constantly encouraging clients to sit in their pool of pain, fall apart, and get messy. The anger is always an important part we constantly encourage clients to not pass by or blow through too quickly. Many of us received very pointed and damaging messages about how bad anger is and maybe painful demonstrations of unchecked anger. Some well-meaning people would even say it’s not a primary emotion which just diminishes its value and importance. It is important to slow down and really sit with anger. Wielded properly our anger can serve to protect us individually and as a society going forward. So, while it is not an easy prescription and might feel overly simplistic to such a huge wound it is the beginning path to of healing and forgiveness.  

I hope wherever you are, whatever your background, whatever your story is you take an active role in this healing process. I hope you bravely step into this difficult space of processing generations of abuse and hold space for yours and others anger toward this atrocity in our nation’s history.