AOC: ‘Direct Through Line’ from Denying Juneteenth to Opposing the Teaching Role of Racism in U.S. History
House Democrat draws parallel between new state laws criminalizing the teaching of history of race in the US, and past efforts to deny Juneteenth
Although most congressional Republicans may have shown a surprising willingness to pass a law making Juneteenth a new federal holiday, the current efforts of Republican elected leaders in states across the country to ban the teaching of the history of race are just part of the legacy that kept the history of Juneteenth hidden from most of the nation for so long.
That's according to outspoken progressive Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
Juneteenth — traditionally celebrated in Texas and other parts of the United States annually on June 19 — commemorating the end of slavery based on the anniversary of the date of June 19, 1865.
That's the day that Gen Gordon Granger of the Union Army, delivered news that slaves were freed in Texas.
However, while sporadically celebrated in Galveston Texas, and some other locales across the United States, the history of Juneteenth had been largely kept from the history books.
Although this week President Biden signed into law the nation's newest federal holiday to honor Juneteenth — including by a unanimous vote in the Senate — the past shrouding of Juneteenth is part of a racist legacy which too many Republicans seem eager to keep hidden today through the passage of state laws in Republican-controlled states outlawing the teaching of race in schools, according to Ocasio-Cortez.
As Republican lawmakers across the country advance state bills that would limit how public school teachers can discuss race in their classrooms, educators say the efforts are already having a chilling effect on their lessons.
“This is pretty consistent with I think the Republican base. It’s whether it’s trying to fight against teaching basic history around racism, the role of racism in U.S. history, to — you know, there’s a direct through line from that to denying Juneteenth, the day that is widely recognized and celebrated as a symbolic kind of day to represent the end of slavery in United States,” she said. “You know, there’s a direct through line between that denial of our history and wanting to understand the full scope of our history, and celebrating the end, a major end of injustice in the United States.
“And I think it’s a shame, but there’s also plenty of wonderful allies that helped us pass this vote today despite that. So I’m very thankful to all of our colleagues, including the white men in the Republican caucus that said, ‘Okay, fine, we’ll vote for this. We’re on this one, too,’” she added. “But I think it just goes to show the importance of teaching our history, warts and all, because it helps us appreciate the justice and freedoms that we have today.”