Juneteenth: Our Liberation Must Be Intersectional
Juneteenth is historically a day marked with community gatherings, dancing, music, food, and festivals. It is a day where Black joy is centered as our community honors the resilience and strength that carried us through the darkest chapters of American history. Juneteenth represents the emancipation of our ancestors and symbolizes the unyielding spirit of freedom that courses through our veins. And while this year is no different – we will continue to come together and celebrate because our joy knows no bounds – our current context reminds us that the path to an equitable future for all will not be linear.
As we move forward with joy and purpose, we cannot ignore the record-breaking number of legislative attacks against our LGBTQ+ siblings that threaten our rights to exist safely and openly in our society. At the same time, America’s racial wealth gap continues to grow. Politicians are fighting to weaken the Biden Harris administration’s climate equity policies that seek to address the disparate impacts of climate change on communities of color. And attempts to erase our history – both queer and Black history – from our school curriculums continue to be pushed across the country.
These attacks against marginalized communities in our country are attempts to reverse the progress we’ve made towards equity. And as Juneteenth falls in the middle of Pride Month, we are reminded of the fact that the progress we’re celebrating didn’t come easy, but is the result of our combined struggles and successes against white supremacy.
Black and queer struggles are not separate from one another. Queer people of color, and specifically Black trans women, face the highest risks when anti-LQBTQ+ hate is allowed to proliferate. Queer Black visionaries led the battle against cultural hegemony as far back as the 1880s when William Dorsey Swann, born into slavery, became the first American to lead a queer resistance – nearly a century before the Stonewall riot in 1969, which was also led by queer Black and Brown women and gender-nonconforming people. These intersections are important because they show us that we are working towards the same goal: to thrive in a society that seeks to control us.
Like Juneteenth, Pride Month is a time to reflect on our hard fought victories against white supremacy culture which falsely holds there is only way to exist in America. That diversity and difference is something to be feared rather than embraced for its liberatory potential. We know this isn’t true. And our stories, our triumphs, and our struggles that are vital threads woven into the fabric of our nation serve as evidence of this.
As we think about how we move forward in the face of attacks against Black and LGBTQ+ communities, we are reminded of Kimberlé Crenshaw’s reflections on intersectionality. She once said, “if you don’t have a lens that’s been trained to look at how various forms of discrimination come together, you’re unlikely to develop a set of policies that will be as inclusive as they need to be.” In our advocacy work at Greenlining, we are reminded of this truth every day. The problems communities of color face are not siloed, which means our solutions can’t be either.
Today, we renew our commitment to the pursuit of equity and justice for all. We will not waver in our fight to dismantle the systems that perpetuate oppression against our communities–including our Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian, LGBTQ+, and disabled siblings. We will work tirelessly to secure a world where every individual can thrive, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. It is through our recognition and celebration of Juneteenth and LGBTQ+ Pride that we can remember our collective power and continue the march towards a more inclusive and equitable society.
On this Juneteenth, let us remember that the struggle for justice is not a solitary journey. It is a collective endeavor that requires unity, compassion, and unwavering determination. As we come together to celebrate the victories of the past, let us forge ahead, envisioning a future where equality, love, and acceptance illuminate every corner of our society. Only then will we ALL truly be free.
