The White House on Monday announced a new initiative to preserve Black history just days before Juneteenth Independence Day.
President Biden recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021. The day commemorates the day the last enslaved Africans in Galveston, Texas, learned of their emancipation.
“This is not a national holiday or a day off, but rather a commemoration of a moment in our history,” said Neera Tanden, a domestic policy adviser to the president. The White House announcement was made on Monday..
“We know that history is under attack,” Tanden continued, “there are forces in our country that are trying to erase parts of our history… Essentially, these attacks are aimed at changing history.”
Tanden said under the new initiative, the White House would work to expand access to Black history.
One way would be to establish a national program through the National Endowment for the Humanities to celebrate Juneteenth and promote Black history and culture in preparation for next year’s holiday.
The program will receive new funding in all 50 states to support reading and discussion programs, interactive workshops on the legacies of slavery and emancipation, and classroom-ready Juneteenth-related content for K-12 teachers.
These latest measures come as states and school districts have begun to limit what teachers can teach.
Since January 2021, 44 states have introduced bills or taken measures to limit teachers’ ability to discuss racism and sexism. Analysis by Education Week.
Schools have also begun to restrict what types of books can be taught, including many that delve into the horrific realities of slavery, such as Toni Morrison’s award-winning novel “Beloved.”
To combat these bans and restrictions, the U.S. Department of Education has appointed a Book Ban Coordinator to help the public and school communities understand the civil rights impacts of book restrictions and the circumstances under which such restrictions may violate federal civil rights laws.
Juneteenth is also recognized as one of three national days of action on voting.
The three days will focus on providing voters with the necessary information on how, where and when to vote, as well as encouraging students to register and cast their ballots and combating voter suppression tactics.
Both Biden and former President Trump are trying to win over black voters ahead of November, but recent polls show Biden struggling to match the historic support that Democratic presidential candidates have garnered from the party’s core.
Biden hopes to lure black voters back to his camp by highlighting his commitment to racial justice, including appointing the most diverse Cabinet in history and nominating Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The Congressional Black Caucus has also stepped up its efforts around Juneteenth, with its chairman, Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nevada), saying Monday that the House Democrats will join in a “week of action.”
“As we celebrate Juneteenth, we celebrate the accomplishments we’ve made and we also speak to the work that remains to be done,” Horsford said. “That’s how we honor our history and how we continue the progress that’s needed.”
