Though Juneteenth only became a federal holiday in 2021, it has been celebrated in African-American communities since 1865. The anniversary has its roots in Galveston, Texas, where on June 19, 1865, federal troops stormed the town and freed enslaved African-Americans across the state, marking the beginning of the end of 246 years of chattel slavery in America.
This year, the Institute’s Juneteenth celebration was hosted by the newly formed Department of Black Culture, Innovation and Technology (BCIT) and included both an academic lecture and a reception. The lecture began with a land acknowledgment by BCIT Director Meriga Garfield, who paid tribute to the land’s original owners, the Muscogee Native American Tribe.
“Every Juneteenth celebration is important to honor our ancestors, not just our African-American ancestors and our Black African immigrant ancestors, but also the people who had this land before Atlanta was here. [in this case,] It’s with the Muscogee Nation,” Garfield said.
Garfield also displayed the Juneteenth flag and explained its meaning: The flag has two curving horizontal stripes of blue and red, two stars in the middle and the date “June 19, 1865” printed on the side.
“The Juneteenth flag features a white star in the center, which represents the freedom of African Americans in Texas, the Lone Star State and all 50 states. There is movement around the star, inspired by an exploding outline, symbolizing a new star. A supernova is an awe-inspiring cosmic event and metaphorically represents the profile, struggle and inner strength of African Americans,” Garfield said.
Garfield further explained that the curved angles of the stripes represent new horizons and opportunities for African Americans. Finally, he said the flag’s red, white and blue colors are a reminder that “former slaves and their descendants are also free Americans.”
The keynote address was given by Maurice Hobson. Hobson, an associate professor of African Studies and historian at Georgia State University, outlined the history of the Juneteenth movement and American history from an Afrocentric perspective.
Hobson concluded his speech by tracing the history of education and marginalized groups, noting that professors in Georgia currently face state censorship of their curriculum.
“We’ve been taught that it’s impossible to teach social justice,” Hobson said.
“I want to say [around] “After the unrest that occurred in 2020 … 2021, and particularly in the summer of 2020, there was a request from the state legislature to find out which professors were teaching critical race theory,” he said. “We were ordered to turn over all our syllabi and they combed through to find out who was teaching critical race theory,” Hobson said.
The celebration took place at First Center Plaza and provided a showcase of music, dancing, food, community and culture for all in attendance. Garfield, who led the planning of the event, explained that Tech University wanted to provide a space of understanding and recognition for both Black and non-Black attendees at the Juneteenth celebration.
“How do we perceive [Juneteenth] “Are you on campus and understand the rich history of African-Americans? And understand their place not only here in the city of Atlanta but here at Georgia Tech. Even today, we have over 2,000 Black students attending. How do we ensure that they have a sense of belonging and understand that rich history as well? But at the same time, it’s also about making sure that the broader campus community understands the rich history of Juneteenth as well,” Garfield said of framing the planning process.
While the event was hosted by BCIT, other campus organizations, including the Office of Minority Educational Development, Veterans Resource Centre, LGBTQIA+ Resource Centre, Housing and Residence Life and the Women’s Resource Centre, also attended the event or had members on the planning committee. Garfield stressed that this collaboration is crucial in supporting Black students. “The most important thing is, [consideration] “The thing is, black people are not a monolith. There are multiple identities that intersect with being black.”
Students in attendance, including third-year Bachelor of Arts student Kofi Agyei, explained what the holiday means to them.
“To me, Juneteenth symbolizes the day African Americans across the country celebrate in commemoration of Emancipation Day. I think it’s a big milestone for us. Even though we still suffer from these injustices, I think we can still celebrate that there is hope and there is a better future for African Americans,” Aguey said.
Dancers and musicians participated, showcasing different aspects of Black American culture. One such performing group was Good God Drums, a family band made up of mother Ayanna Narcisse Williams, father Asim Narcisse Williams, son Chioma Narcisse Williams, and daughter Chione Narcisse Williams. Their music highlights the rhythm and sound traditions of West African drumming.
“West African drumming is very important to us because we understand that drumming allowed us to communicate with one another when languages were mixed, when we were separated from our families, friends and communities, when we were experiencing the transatlantic slave trade,” Ayanna Narcisse Williams said.
She went on to elaborate on the role that West African drumming played as a humanizing element amid the depravity of the slave trade.
“So when we came here, we used rhythm, we used festivals, we used rites of passage. We used drums, we used rituals, and it reminded us of what it meant to live free on our continent. So we understand it as the first voice of our ancestors. So it’s something we can never separate ourselves from,” Ayanna Narcisse Williams said.
The family, who described themselves as a musical family, explained that music is regularly played in their home to stay connected to their family and community.
“You can start your morning with music and end your night with music… as my wife said, [music] “It’s our oldest ancestors and we carry it through our family lineage,” Asim Narcisse Williams said.
In keeping with Garfield’s stated mission for the event, these performances were well received by both black Americans and those interested in learning more about other cultures.
“This event is about educating people about Juneteenth and celebrating by exposing them to things that are close to our culture, like drumming, music, food and everything that is African-American culture and part of this event,” said Fallon Burgess, client relations manager for the institute.
