Festivals of Freedom: Memory and Meaning in African American Emancipation Celebrations, 1808-1915

"Festivals of Freedom is a lovely book, long in sweep and broad in geographic scope. Katchun looks at the different freedom celebrations that African Americans created and maintained through the nineteenth century. He goes back to the early 1800s to look at African Americans’ celebrations to commemorate the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade and the end of slavery in the Caribbean colonies in the 1830s. African Americans in the Northern United States marked this Caribbean Emancipation Day as a holiday here. This shows us that many African Americans in the 1830s were well informed about international issues affecting people of African descent. They were following the anti-slavery campaigns in England, for example, and understood the interconnectedness of their experience and the experiences of people who were enslaved in Jamaica, in Barbados and throughout the British Empire . So Katchun shows us that African Americans understood their place in a world, not just in the United States. “The Fourth of July is a day when we celebrate American independence, but Juneteenth seems like a more fitting day to celebrate American freedom” He then studied freedom celebrations over time, through the end of the Civil War and up until they were folded into Juneteenth celebrations after the Civil War. It’s a detailed and beautifully written account of how communities came together to celebrate and commemorate, with public oration about freedom, citizenship, civil rights and social justice. And Katchun shows how Juneteenth engendered empowerment, community cohesion and political engagement. Many people only think about the South when they think about the post-Civil War period, but Katchun shows that African American communities all over the United States were engaged in creating and sustaining these freedom celebrations. African American communities in the North, the Midwest and on the Pacific Coast were really invested in creating markers of Black freedom and supporting struggles for equality. Past and present Juneteenth celebrations were all based in a recognition of African American history and Black accomplishments. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Black communities, who were barred from accessing public parks and town greens, pooled their resources to purchase land for Juneteenth celebrations. These community-based endeavors created a legacy for future generations, space they would inherit on which they could assemble for political and intellectual engagement. Juneteenth celebrations were also fun. People had cookouts and music and parades, showcasing Black artistic talent, community, creativity, culture and beauty."