Do you think Black Americans should feel any connection to July 4th? Was July 4th Independance Day for them? And yet about 1/4 of all humans in the US were Black on July 4th 1776. Should Black Americans object to the "pandering" of this country celebrating an event that only impacted the rights of white males who represented less than 1/2 the humans here?
July 4 was a statement of benefit for white males, but also the Declaration of Independance and later the Constitution gave a hint of a promise that someday perhaps basic human dignity and freedom might, just might, apply to all genders and all races. Everyone should be encouraged to
read Fredrick Douglas's thoughts on July 4th, even if some of you think teaching about the Black view of history is pandering. I suppose Ann Frank's views of Nazis and Geromino's thoughts about the expansion of the US have no role in teaching history either.
The words "a more perfect Union" recognized we were not there yet. We still are not. But the recognition that Black Americans were not property but people came only with the defeat of the slavery supporting South and the freedom of slaves, as well as changes to our Constitution.
Juneteenth celebrates that the promise to Black people in this nation was finally fulfilled, at least in part. No other race or nationality was declared not human, subhuman, property here.
And the idea that this country can express some joy that we all got something right, that the people and the government helped out an oppressed minority because it was the right thing to do even if it caused some pain and societal disruption... that is a very important thing to celebrate, to acknowledge, and hopefully to emulated for those groups which today are not equal citizens because of ignorant hatred or political expediency