Juneteenth Comes As Reparations Issue Debated

For more than 150 years, Juneteenth holiday has been sacred to many Black communities. It marks the day in 1865 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas found out they had been freed, Terry Tang reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: Since it was designated a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth has become more universally recognized beyond Black America.

Since it was designated a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth has become more universally recognized beyond Black America.

The important thing is to make people feel they have options on how to observe the occasion, said Dr. David Anderson, a Black pastor and CEO of Gracism Global, a consulting firm.

“Just like the Martin Luther King holiday, we say it’s a day of service and a lot of people will do things. There are a lot of other people who are just ‘I appreciate Dr. King, I’ll watch what’s on the television, and I’m gonna rest,’” Anderson said.

The important thing is to give people the choice on how to celebrate it.

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