12 of Our Favorite Juneteenth Quotes for Reflection and Celebration
We're nearly in the thick of summer which means that one of the best celebratory weekends of the year is finally here: Juneteenth. The holiday, also known as Freedom Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, or Emancipation Day, honors the official end of slavery in the U.S; it was birthed out of hardship and struggle and then made into something beautiful and jubilant, which, as many Black Americans know, is basically the thesis of our entire culture. Even though the special occasion has been celebrated in a slew of ways by Black folks for well over a century, like with picnics and fantastic meal spreads, Juneteenth was just locked in as a federal holiday in 2021 by President Joe Biden. So basically, we gotta make up for lost time.
Like many commemorative days, there will be space for reflection on the immense and innumerable sacrifices our enslaved predecessors made, but it's also a time for Black joy and celebration to be on 15,000. I, for one, already have all my 'fits for the full weekend of functions laid out like the first day of school, and have been preparing my liver accordingly for weeks *takes sip of cold-pressed beet juice*.
Since the Fourth of July is quite literally not for Black Americans (JFYI, Black folks were very much still slaves and building some of this country's most significant landmarks at the time, like The White House and The Capitol), I whipped up this lil list of my 12 favorite quotes about Juneteenth, and freedom in general, from notable Black figures. Whether you use them for your Instagram captions or to meditate on throughout the day on June 19, these Juneteenth quotes will have you beaming with Black pride and ready to mark the day in a way that will make the ancestors proud.
Juneteenth Quotes and Captions
"Freeing yourself was one thing. Claiming ownership of that freed self was another." —Toni Morrison
“In the end, anti-black, anti-female, and all forms of discrimination are equivalent to the same thing: anti-humanism.” —Shirley Chisholm
“Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation.” —Coretta Scott King
"You cannot take your freedoms for granted. Just like generations who have come before you, you have to do your part to preserve and protect those freedoms." —Michelle Obama
“Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” —Fannie Lou Hamer
“Juneteenth has never been a celebration of victory or an acceptance of the way things are. It’s a celebration of progress. It’s an affirmation that despite the most painful parts of our history, change is possible—and there is still so much work to do.” —Barack Obama
“Juneteenth may mark just one moment in the struggle for emancipation, but the holiday gives us an occasion to reflect on the profound contributions of enslaved Black Americans to the cause of human freedom.” —Jamelle Bouie
“You must never, ever give out. We must keep the faith because we are one people. We are brothers and sisters. We all live in the same house: The American house.” —John Lewis
“Hold those things that tell your history and protect them. During slavery, who was able to read or write or keep anything? The ability to have somebody to tell your story to is so important. It says: 'I was here. I may be sold tomorrow. But you know I was here.'” —Maya Angelou
"You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom." —Malcolm X
"The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them." ―Ida B. Wells-Barnett
"We can’t become what we need to be by remaining what we are." —Oprah Winfrey
You Might Also Like
