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[2 MIN READ]
I was at the auto parts store on Juneteenth. The checkout associate was a Black woman and I wondered if I should say “Happy Juneteenth.” I started over-analyzing.
The fact that it was Juneteenth justified a celebratory greeting, but I only thought about extending it because she was Black. “Happy Fourth of July” in any assemblage of people? No problem.
She was simultaneously helping a Black man when an obvious regular walked by, also a Black man. Identifying race as an Asian person isn’t generally a political statement. In a setting with a predominantly Black assemblage, it isn’t either. Mixed settings feel trickier.
At this point there were 2 other White people in the store, a staff member and customer. My greeting as an Asian person could come across as a politically charged statement of alliance. I stuck to my business but made a decision that I thought was more suitable.
As I walked down the checkout, in earshot of everyone — including now another White customer — I said, “Happy Juneteenth, everyone!” When I got the barest of responses, I looked at the White customer nearest me as I said, “Happy Juneteenth,” again. He smiled politely as I passed and exited the store. Did the Black staff member and customers not hear? That didn’t seem to be the issue. With the other customers present, them even acknowledging me could still have seemed like a political statement. No, I guessed; they would stay quiet, too.
While I trust my intuition, there’s no doubt I could have been mistaken. Maybe they really didn’t hear me. Or maybe it’s still so uncommon a greeting that people just don’t know what to do.
As I entered the Fine Wine and Good Spirits store next, I did a quick survey and tried again there: “Happy Juneteenth, everyone!” Again: the barest of responses. My conclusion about the potential political implications remained.
During a recent diversity, equity, and belonging orientation for CCO, the organization I newly joined, I was reminded that an expansive embrace of community helps everyone (iCandybyWangC.com). It gets us out of our limited understanding of other people’s broad variety of experiences; racial, social, economic, gender-expression and orientation spectrum, ability spectrum, ideological, whichever. That makes the celebration of Juneteenth an experience that legitimately blesses everyone.
I went down to Philadelphia’s Strawberry Mansion neighborhood the next morning for my 3rd year joining Black Men Run’s Juneteenth Freedom 5K/10K. I doubt anyone was over-analyzing the political significance of various greetings. What I do know is that I shouted, “Freedom,” every time the organizer yelled, “Juneteenth!”
It was a great time running, too.
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