Juneteenth Not Taught in the South

I am an 80s Baby that grew up in Mississippi.

Like many Southern children and 80s babies, I grew up celebrating the Fourth of July.

Every summer meant fireworks, family cookouts, red-white-and-blue decorations, and conversations about American freedom and independence.

What I didn't grow up learning about was Juneteenth.

In fact, I knew absolutely nothing about it.

Not in elementary school.

Not in middle school.

Not in high school.

Not even in college.

It wasn't until I moved to Texas and was well into my 30s that I first heard people talking about Juneteenth and the history behind it.

At first, I was surprised.

Then I was curious.

And eventually, I found myself asking a simple question:

Why didn't I know this story?

Discovering a Missing Chapter

For those who may not know, Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally learned they were free. This occurred more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Think about that for a moment.

Freedom had already been declared.

But not everyone knew it.

That fact alone stopped me in my tracks.

As I learned more, I realized this wasn't just a Texas story.

It was an American story.

Yet somehow, it was a story I had never been taught.

Learning From Dr. Opal Lee

As I continued learning about Juneteenth, one name kept appearing again and again: Dr. Opal Lee.

Known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," Dr. Lee spent decades advocating for national recognition of the holiday.

Her determination helped bring awareness to a piece of history that many Americans, myself included, had never fully understood.

What impressed me most wasn't just her activism.

It was her persistence.

She believed the story mattered.

She believed people needed to know.

And because of her efforts, millions of Americans are learning about Juneteenth today.

It's Okay To Admit What We Didn't Know

One thing I've learned over the years is that there is no shame in admitting what you didn't know.

The real mistake is refusing to learn once you do know.

When I first heard about Juneteenth, I could have dismissed it as something that wasn't relevant to me.

Instead, I chose to listen.

To read.

To learn.

To understand.

And the more I learned, the more I realized how important it is to tell complete stories about our nation's history.

Not partial stories.

Complete stories.

Why Juneteenth Matters

For me, Juneteenth isn't about replacing the Fourth of July.

It's about understanding that freedom has different meanings and different timelines for different people.

It's about recognizing resilience.

It's about honoring those who endured unimaginable hardships while continuing to hope for a better future.

And it's about ensuring future generations have access to the history many of us never received.

The SLAY Perspective

Growing up in Mississippi, I celebrated Independence Day every year.

But I didn't learn about Juneteenth until I was over 30 years old and living in Texas.

That realization taught me something important:

We are never too old to learn.

Never too old to grow.

And never too old to discover pieces of history that help us better understand ourselves and our country.

So this Juneteenth, I find myself grateful.

Grateful for those who preserved the history.

Grateful for leaders like Dr. Opal Lee who refused to let the story be forgotten.

And grateful for the opportunity to continue learning.

Because history isn't just about the past.

It's about understanding how we arrived where we are today and making sure the stories that shaped us are never left untold.

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