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Educating Ourselves on Juneteenth

Posted on Jun. 19, 2024  /  Diversity & Inclusion  /  Subscribe 0

by Kiran Malik-Khan

Despite the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, slavery still existed in the Confederate states until the proclamation’s final enforcement on June 19, 1865. On that day, about 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, and the army announced that more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free by executive decree. June 19 became Juneteenth National Independence Day to commemorate the official end of slavery in the U.S.

Closer to home, Tampa’s enslaved population near what is now downtown was emancipated on May 6, 1865.

We asked Gwendolyn Henderson, Tampa City Council member, educator and well-known Black community leader, to share her thoughts about Juneteenth with PRSA Tampa Bay members through this blog. She has made a unique investment in Black history and culture by founding Black English, a bookstore at 401 East Oak Avenue in Tampa.

“In Tampa, we are recognizing Juneteenth more publicly as Black history has been opening up some doors. History has been excluded from classrooms because curriculum writers play a role in that. I educate my students and incorporate historical references such as Juneteenth in an organic way. It’s an honor and a privilege to inform students. 

"However, I tell teenagers you have to get past Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King and George Washington Carver and dive in deeper. Which is true for all of us. People educate themselves. Ask for a book and book recommendations in a comfortable environment,” says Henderson. 

“Freedom exists, and I’m the result of that freedom. This is why on my bookstore website you’ll see that this store is dedicated to Sam Hightower (1860-1932), my great-great-great-grandfather. He was unable to read and write and was documented as such in the U.S. Census, which was sad to see. As an educator, as a family member, and as a city council member, I continue to educate. It’s my job to raise the flag.”

As communicators and storytellers, we can highlight Juneteenth and its significance on social media, in newsletters, local newspapers and through promoting and attending events commemorating the day.

Henderson’s message to communicators:

“The Juneteenth celebration is an American story of freedom and represents, in my opinion, a more generous application of what Jefferson penned in 1776 - that all men are created equal - and is what we continue to fight for today. Through our freedom, we express to our country every day that we are here, not far removed from our past. Our culture is embedded in the fabric of our nation forever. “Freedom is ours, and we must continue to fight for it every day and especially for those human beings who are deprived of their privileges and rights. We fight for the unfortunate. We must fight for the weak. That is what I want professional communicators to know about Juneteenth.”

Black English Bookstore is located on 401 East Oak Avenue, Tampa.

About the Author: Kiran Malik-Khan is the senior communications director for the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA, and a member of PRSA Tampa Bay's DE&I Committee. She is a freelance journalist; and sits on the boards of World Hijab Day and the Pakistani American Association of Tampa Bay.

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