Juneteenth: Celebration is Preservation, Remembrance is Resistance

Preservers of history are necessary for every community. Toni Perry, the mayor of Wilmar, AR, is a great preservationist. For as long as I can remember, she’s served as a community activist, performer, public servant, and leader. She, along with others from the Wilmar community, make sure that the community preserves and celebrates Juneteenth. The yearly Juneteenth celebration in Wilmar is named June Dinner.

As I think about my experiences going to June Dinner, I realize that this celebration is the biggest celebration for us, by us in the entire state of Arkansas.

Black Celebrations

The ostracized, marginalized, and oppressed are seldom writers of history books. Additionally, in the American context, Black history is not substantively taught to the masses. That’s why Black-led celebrations that acknowledge the history of Black experiences are necessary. In these celebrations we find:

• justice
• freedom
• perseverance
• ancestry
• resistance
• resilience
• faith
• mourning,
• and even devastation.

These celebrations are more than simple events. They keep histories from being misinterpreted, told by the wrong storytellers, or from getting lost.

We become the best preservers of history when we celebrate in our communities. Besides June Dinner, family reunions, annual church celebrations, the Drew School Reunion, HBCU classics, even homegoings and repasses help preserve history in my community and culture. These celebrations are necessary because they tell stories of the community, the culture, and the people in ways that otherwise might not get told.

Remembrance is Resistance

There is joy in remembering the history that precedes the celebration. Hope, love, and even pride are byproducts of remembering why we celebrate. Joy, hope, love, and pride are all fruits of resistance. We celebrate to remember. Remembrance is resistance.

Celebrations resist forgotten histories. They resist the singular stories often told about Black people. Celebrations resist hiding what needs honoring and remembering. As we remember and celebrate, we resist!

Celebrate

There is freedom in celebration. There is power in celebration. There is energy in celebration. There is reclamation in celebration. There is perseverance in celebration. There is courage in celebration. There is honor in celebration. There is pride in celebration. There is preservation in celebration. There is reflection in celebration. There is holiness in celebration.

If there is a history worth celebrating, let the celebration begin!