
<p>It was on June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, where the last elements of the Confederate military surrendered. ; The Union commanders declared that all enslaved people were … free. ; ;</p>



<p>It was the final end of the hostilities and the last nail in the coffin of slavery. ; It was more than two months after General Robert E. Lee officially surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant in the home of Wilmer McLean &#8212; which also served as the local courthouse.</p>



<p>Juneteenth – also known as Freedom Day and Emancipation Day &#8212; was made a national holiday in 2021. ; Ironically, that status was never afforded to the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation and Lee’s surrender. ; Regardless, the end of slavery in America is worthy of national recognition and celebration. ; The end of slavery was the most important transitional moment in American history. ; The celebration was sadly diminished and compromised by the more than 100 years of black segregation and oppression in the old Confederate states and big cities.</p>



<p>Juneteenth has been characterized as a “black holiday,” – and most of the events focus on the black community as celebrants and participants. ; But is it really a black holiday? ; Or should it be considered as such?</p>



<p>The idea of a NATIONAL holiday suggests it is a unifying event that we the people ALL can celebrate. ; One common thread that travels through the entire national fabric is the universal view that the end of slavery was a good thing – something every American can celebrate.</p>



<p>While African Americans were the victims of slavery, they were not the primary force ending it – not because they did not want it ended, but because they lacked the political and military power to do so.  ; Slavery was ended because a predominantly white segment of the population – with a predominantly white male leadership – opposed slavery in the legislatures, the courts and on the battlefield. ; The more than 100,000 Union soldiers who perished in the Civil War were mostly young white men. ; Another 225,000 died from diseases – and 275,000 were wounded.</p>



<p>To cast Juneteenth as a black holiday with black focused celebrations omits the historical contribution of non-blacks. ; Rather it is a holiday that should be celebrated by the nation as a whole.  ; We should not only focus on the plight of the Negro, but on the nobility, courage, and sacrifice of the greater American community. ; The Juneteenth Holiday festivities should include recognition of all those who played critical roles in ending the evil institution. ;</p>



<p>Because of the essential role played by the Republican Party, I have often suggested that the GOP should be in the fore of celebrating Juneteenth. ; It was the political will and power of the new Republican Party – led by President Lincoln &#8212; that brought the issue of slavery to the breaking point and ultimately ended it. ;</p>



<p>It is not small irony that the contemporary Democratic Party has aligned with Juneteenth as a day of black celebration. ; It seems that creating Juneteenth as an exclusively black holiday is another example of woke identity politics trumping E Pluribus Unum.</p>



<p>If we celebrate as a significant historical event, then we should celebrate the entire history. ; It should not be carried out as an ethnic event, but an event that recognizes all the forces of good – black and white – that prevailed over evil.</p>



<p>The folks with the greatest historic stake in celebrating Juneteenth are those who benefited from the end of slavery AND those who ended it – those who were freed from human bondage and those who led the struggle for emancipation. ; ;</p>



<p>Today, I see Juneteenth as a potentially unifying celebration in which all Americans can celebrate – giving meaning to the word “national” in National Holiday. ; ;</p>



<p>As a conservative that tends to identify with the Republican Party for obvious reasons, I have always found celebration in Juneteenth. ; I have taken pride in the essential role my party and political ancestors played in ending slavery – and the role of the GOP in opposing the 100 years of Jim Crow de jure and de facto racism that followed the Civil War.</p>



<p>I have never viewed Juneteenth as a black celebration, and my only criticism of the National Holiday is not the worthiness of the celebration itself, but as it is celebrated. ; It does not reflect the whole story – the reason for all Americans to celebrate.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Juneteenth is Not Exclusively a Black Holiday
