From Juneteenth to the Fourth of July; it is but a couple of weeks, but for many Americans it could symbolize a life time of experience and expectation – ways shared and often not.
This Fourth of July 2021 being the very first that follows the very first official national Juneteenth, I let speak historian and law professor, Annette Gordon-Reed in today’s guest essay for The New York Times.
No, I haven’t read her recent book which is an essay collection called On Juneteenth (I did read the excellent The Hemingses of Monticello several years ago) that reaches into her Texan childhood, but will certainly do so. Given her heritage, and after reading the NYT piece and this interview at The Harvard Gazette, Professor Gordon-Reed is definitely the person to go to as June turns to July and no star should stand alone.
Should an outsider dare to offer her opinion; I would suggest Fourth of July celebrations aren’t going anywhere fast, but Juneteenth as a new national holiday, with a narrative that is peculiarly fitting for these times and with appeal to a new generation of Americans, may gain in traction and attraction. It is to be hoped, as Professor Gordon-Reed pleads for, that these days do not fall into competition rather are seen as complementary facets in an ever evolving national identity.