Celebrate Juneteenth Shari’s Perspective

As we prepare to celebrate the Juneteenth Holiday, I’d like to talk about it from my perspective.

Last year, to commemorate the holiday, I blogged about how times were different when my mother grew up, who by the way, is blessed to be 90 years old. Back when she was growing up there was still much discrimination against African Americans, it was getting better, slowly, but was still difficult.

I love to hear her say, I never thought I would see a day when black people would be living in certain areas of town, black and white children attending school together, and the first black man becoming president of the United States.

This year, I’d like to talk about the holiday and what it means to me as a woman with a disability and who’s African American living in this decade.

I was recently asked while being interviewed for a podcast, have I ever felt discriminated against as a black woman with a disability. I’m usually very subdued because I always want to show professionalism, but since the question was posed to me, I answered it in my truth.

Yes, there have been times that I’ve felt discriminated against; just like when I knew I should have received a job position early in my career, but instead my counterpart did. This showed me we still live in a time where discrimination is very real. Often, you can be the most qualified in the room with the best ideas, but sitting in a room full of individuals who don’t look like you usually mean your ideas can be overlooked. At least, these are my thoughts and how I have felt in the past.

Juneteenth, which in my opinion, hits a little different now. A few years ago, I honestly didn’t even know what it was. Matter fact, it wasn’t made a national federal holiday until 2021. I wasn’t taught about it in high school or college even though enslaved people were freed on January 1, 1863, when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

This holiday for me means I’m free. No longer will I let opportunities or ideas slip through my hands without a fight.  I know that I am truly qualified to do many things. I stand by my qualifications, what I believe in, and know that my opinion counts. I used to be the queen of the word, but. I now know that conjunction was just a word that I used to pacify myself when someone was showing their discrimination against me.

I’m a firm believer that things in life will work themselves out for good. Juneteenth might have taken a while to catch fire for the world to learn about, but it’s here to stay, making the world a better place.

I thank Juneteenth for helping me become even more, unapologetically black!