MISSOULA — Juneteenth commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States.
On June 19, 1865, Union troops reached Galveston, Texas and delivered the news of the emancipation proclamation. This was over two years after President Lincoln issued the decree.
The day became a federally recognized holiday in 2021 and Missoula has been hosting annual Juneteenth events at Fort Missoula since then.
Speakers on Wednesday shared the history of the holiday while also acknowledging the work towards equity yet to be made.
Educator Pamela Smith stated, “[Juneteenth] is truly a day to not only celebrate emancipation but for education."
“If we marginalize or erase history, then we are doomed to repeat some of the mistakes of the past. It's our past that helps us engage in our lives and move forward," Dr. Laurelle C. Warner said.”
"When we look back, we see what our ancestors have gone through and it gives us hope and confidence that what we are dealing with today we can get through because they did it," Dr. Laurelle C. Warner continued.
Smith's speech at the Juneteenth event discussed the feeling of being 'free-ish'.
“The challenges we face today is why I say we're free-ish; we're not truly free to just live," Smith told MTN. "Living in Montana, it's a beautiful place, but it's really challenging because we represent less than 1% of the state.”
Sa'nia Simpson said that growing up in Missoula, “It was always super tough to find that sense of community. So, definitely in the fact of my schooling, I always felt like I stood out and was kind of thought of as different."
Takara Burnett echoed the sentiment of feeling seen as different, "Right here in Missoula, Montana where I've had people come up to me and physically pull on my hair."
Simpson and Burnett told MTN they both have experienced times where they felt like they could not fully be themselves.
"Especially in the workplace as well, I feel like with my hairstyles, it's definitely, it's never said, but it's definitely encouraged to keep a certain hair color, hairstyle, hair length, kind of not get too crazy," Simpson said.
"Standing up for yourself being assertive, stating your opinion, anything that you do that doesn't put you in a submissive position, has the risk of having you be labeled as the angry black woman," Burkett noted.
“I just educated, I’m not even kidding you literally 12 hours ago, all my roommates on what Juneteenth was. Of course, they're going to love me and they're not racist at all or nothing like that," Dorjanice Lefthand said. "They just literally didn't know but I've been celebrating Juneteenth since I was a little girl.”
Being silent and non-expressive of personality or values is, as Jaylen Tintinger explained, the wrong way to move society forward.
“I think it's super important, especially here in predominantly white areas, make yourself heard. Make yourself seen.”
“We don't grow as human beings unless we do stop and step back and maybe look at things from a different perspective and maybe get a little bit uncomfortable," Historical Museum at Fort Missoula Executive Director Matt Lautzenheiser observed.
“Getting to know people that don't look like you, spending time with someone, a person of color, and talking to them and getting to know them and just tearing down those walls there," Smith said.”
The need for mutual respect, education, and connection is why Warner believes, “Juneteenth should not just be remembered on Juneteenth, but that we really should engage in ongoing relationship with history, understanding the historical experiences of Blacks in the United States. Recognizing that without them, this nation would never exist.”
