• Where do we take it? •
[2½ MIN READ]
No one wishes each other Happy Juneteenth. Not in the spaces where I hover. And I have 4 Black neighbors within 3 houses on all sides of me. Fair, one of them has a speech aphasia that developed in her later years, but that’s beside the point. (Okay, also beside the point; in case you’re stereotyping, she’s a retired, recognized, Ivy-league nurse educator. By all standards, she is accomplished.)
But why not? There could be concern about general apathy or even antagonism. The world isn’t a terribly friendly place these days. With still a relatively small population of Blacks in my neighborhood, it could also be that momentum just hasn’t begun. If it were a predominantly Black neighborhood with a few non-Blacks, I suspect there could well be block celebrations (or variations thereof). Why not? We do it for the nation’s Independence Day.
I asked young-adult Daughter how long she thought it would be before Happy Juneteenth became a general greeting: “Probably never.” I disagree, but the answer might only be slightly better than no greeting at all.
It’s fine to say Happy Columbus Day and Happy St. Patrick’s Day. The question arises about how much the speaker or hearer is expecting anyone to regard the historical significance of either day. The answer is that we’ll be able to use a greeting with anyone only when the meaning has been sufficiently diluted. Happy Memorial Day, anyone? That doesn’t feel like the direction to go for “Happy Juneteenth.”
I asked a runner buddy how he would feel if I said Happy Juneteenth to him as a Black man: “It would depend on how much you meant it.” I can attest; if I said it, I would mean it.
Then how can I best convey sincerity? It would be awkward, but I could literally say, “Sincere Happy Juneteenth.” In that case, I would still not offer it to simply anyone: It could then feel suspiciously token. I could also limit the greeting to those who knew I would only say it if I meant it sincerely. That might also require that those in hearing range also knew I was saying it with sincerity.
Certain social conventions demand attention; these days, even more so. Maybe that’s actually justifiable. Maybe: Is it relevant that I don’t say Happy Mother’s Day to just anyone, either?
Next:
New Communities (3:3)
Previous:
Juneteenth (1:3)
Updated: 2024’01’03’W (Sequential place in series. Link to previous.)
Created: 2023’06’19’M
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