Juneteenth as a Path to Healing Generational Wounds

Experts assert that Juneteenth, observed on June 19, offers significant generational healing for Black Americans. “Juneteenth grants Black Americans a culturally affirmed opportunity to confront the profound generational trauma while simultaneously celebrating survival and resilience,” states Rev. Dr. A’Shellarien Addison, CEO of Desakajo’s Flo and an Army Chaplain. “This duality—mourning and jubilation—reflects the intricate emotional realities that many Black families encounter daily.” To grasp the true healing essence of Juneteenth, Addison emphasizes the importance of acknowledging that Black Americans continually defend their freedom, contrasting it with the historical birthright of liberty experienced by White Americans. “The holiday acts as a communal therapy session,” she explains, allowing for trauma recognition, honoring ancestors, celebrating perseverance, and envisioning liberation as an ongoing journey. Despite Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, true liberation for most enslaved individuals did not occur until June 19, 1865, when Union troops informed approximately 250,000 enslaved African Americans of their freedom.