It’s hard to believe that before President Biden signed a bill declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday last year, the United States did not officially commemorate the end of chattel slavery in 1865. Perhaps this should come as no surprise in a nation that has long distorted, mythologized and ignored this history. The ongoing debate about history education suggests that we are still struggling to come to terms with the history and legacy of slavery and white supremacy in the United States.
A Juneteenth Reflection
It’s hard to believe that before President Biden signed a bill declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday last year, the United States did not officially commemorate the end of chattel slavery in 1865. Perhaps this should come as no surprise in a nation that has long distorted, mythologized and ignored this history. The ongoing debate about history education suggests that we are still struggling to come to terms with the history and legacy of slavery and white supremacy in the United States.
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