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| A screenshot of the online Black Lives Matter Korea event held last Sunday ahead of June 19, "Juneteenth" / Courtesy of Black Lives Matter Korea |
By Chantal Terblanche
Juneteenth was a word not known to many outside of the U.S. ― as well as some inside it either ― before this last year. According to Google Trends, searches for the word "Juneteenth" reached their highest level in 2020 since 2004, the earliest data available. According to data, the word didn't only trend in the U.S., but worldwide too.
So what is Juneteenth?
The New York Times described it recently as such, "On June 19, 1865, enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas, were told they were free. A century and a half later, people in cities and towns across the U.S. continue to celebrate the occasion."
The day's name, which first appeared around 1903, is a combination of "June" and "nineteenth" in honor of the date of this announcement to the people of Texas. It is also known as African American Freedom Day or Emancipation Day. The day was celebrated occasionally until it was revived during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Juneteenth is recognized as a state holiday or special day of observance in 45 states. There is currently a push towards making it a federal holiday.
In Korea, this history may be even less familiar, but African American foreign residents have been increasingly spreading awareness, in cooperation with Black people from around the world and their allies. Last year, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by police in the U.S., members of the local Black community decided to start a Black Lives Matter group for Korea, welcoming cooperation with other communities and educating everyone on the importance of Black culture and American history of Black people. The group also organizes various events and initiatives, such as the Black Excellence Festival in February during Black History Month.
On June 13, members of the Facebook group Black Lives Matter Korea (BLMK) organized an online event to celebrate this day. African Americans have been celebrating and acknowledging this day in Korea for many years but, as one of the organizers, who wished to be identified only as Terra, told The Korea Times, COVID-19 has presented a new challenge and this year, an online event seemed to be the best.
The free event was held online via Zoom at 3 p.m. for two hours. It had music, a trivia game, panel discussion, a guest speaker and a dance-off at the end. The panel title was, "Finding Balance: Embracing Black Joy Through the Struggle." The topic was described in the event description as covering "…how we handle the difficulties of dealing with systemic racism, and seeing news reports on injustice in our communities, while still keeping our peace and joy." The guest speaker, Dr. Lavonna Connell, is a clinical psychologist from Camp Humphreys.
EJ Asare, Haitian American author, English teacher and co-founder of BLMK, said the theme of mental health was chosen for the panel discussion as, "Just like the traumatic history of South Korea…, it is important to learn how not only to survive traumatic events, but to thrive despite the trauma." This past year has been a very traumatic and emotionally taxing experience for many, and very often, mental health concerns are overlooked and not acknowledged.
As to why the organizers feel an event like the Juneteenth celebration is important, many gave the same reason: education. Terra mentioned that this holiday wasn't well-known even a few years ago, and just because the history is uncomfortable, it doesn't mean it should not be spoken about.
Fellow organizer EJ added that this type of event is important to have in Korea, since many people believe the Western mainstream media's negative image of African Americans, saying, "Black culture is not just the music and dancing that other cultures imitate without acknowledging the Black roots. It is our pain being recreated as art. It is our very essence. Many people admire, steal and profit from Black culture. They want to imitate the best of what we produce but refuse to acknowledge the suffering that creates the music, dance and art. We have a saying, 'You want our joy but not our pain.'"
They are hoping that this event, and others like it, will raise awareness of the darker sides of American history and the suffering many have endured.
For those who missed this event, a video recording of the online session has been uploaded to the YouTube channel of BlackLivesMatter SouthKorea.
There are two other upcoming events on the date of Juneteenth this Saturday. JJ's Diner in Pyeongtaek will hold a more party-like event with music and food. There is also an event being held at U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Humphreys for military personnel. More information about these events can be found on the Black Lives Matter Korea Instagram and Facebook pages.
"BLMK focuses not only on the importance of Black lives, but also on Black excellence," EJ stated. "We welcome people who want to work and educate to join us to organize events. We are also looking for Korean orgs to work with on future projects. We want to reach as much of the country as possible to show unity (and solidarity)."
The organizers also recommend the website blackownedkorea.com, which is also on Instagram, where people can find a list of Black businesses or people in Korea to support and follow.
For history not to be repeated, it is important to acknowledge it, no matter how upsetting it may be. History should never be forgotten.
Chantal Terblanche, from South Africa, lives here with her dog, Samsung. She runs the blog ClumsyinKorea.com and the Korea Events group on Facebook.
