Juneteenth was finally recognized as a federal holiday. Then came commercialization. “Companies that are having these picnics for their employees and feeding them fried chicken and watermelon — who made that call?” Torrina Harris of Galveston, Texas, quipped.
Galveston Juneteenth (KPRC 2)
Juneteenth may be the country’s newest federal holiday , but for many Black Americans, June 19 has long been associated with homegrown community celebrations, if not at least understood as a day to symbolize freedom .
“For Black folks, there has been a long tradition of commemorating Juneteenth,” said Amara Enyia, policy and research coordinator at Movement for Black Lives.
But now that Juneteenth is a federal holiday , complete with offices and schools closing in recognition of it, the inevitable has also taken shape: commercialism.
Read more on NBC News here.
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