Let's Go National

Larry Trahan

English 1301

March 22, 2010

Let’s Go National

June 19, 1865, marks the date that Galveston, Texas received the good news of freedom from enslavement. Over 400 years of enslavement of African Americans. To reach a day of freedom could be imagined as a day of rejoicing. Galveston, Texas began a celebration known as Juneteenth. This is a day contributed to not just freedom, but recognition to all the ancestors that died and suffered during this enslavement period. Should Juneteenth be granted as a national holiday? Yes, because it is a part of African American heritage, Americans celebrate freedom on a day that excluded African Americans, and the holiday being national would allow all African Americans to take off work without any hassle from employers.

As stated before a lot of the ancestors of African Americans died and many experienced horrible things during slavery. Juneteenth plays a major role in the heritage of African Americans. This day celebrated gives African Americans not only a chance to celebrate but to learn about their culture. Speakers come out to the gatherings and enlighten African Americans through speeches on motivation and self improvement. This celebration is done through food, entertainment, unity, and knowledgeable displays of information gathered. Activities such as rodeos, fishing, barbecuing and baseball are just a few to mention, that still continue today at the gatherings during the Juneteenth celebration. So much is put into this day of recognition it is well deserved to be a national holiday. So many struggles throughout the years of African Americans and still today the struggle continue.

In the Declaration of Independence African Americans were not included in American freedom. They were not recognized as full human beings. How can one expect African Americans to celebrate freedom on July 4th when they were not freed? Everyone was not included in that freedom, thus there should be a declarations of...