Just 14 days ago we celebrated Juneteenth.  And on Monday, we will celebrate the 4th of July.  Ironically, more African Americans will celebrate the 4th of July with much more vigor and enthusiasm than they ever would for Juneteenth, if they celebrate at all.  In some spaces Juneteenth has been referred to a Black People’s 4th of July or Freedom Day.  For me Juneteenth has more meaning than the 4th of July simply because on July 4th, 1776 my people were slaves.  They were not celebrating.  As the esteemed orator and abolitionist Frederick Douglass once asked:  What is the 4th of July to a slave?  Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.  More specifically, it is the day June 19th 1865 when those who were enslaved in Galveston, Texas were informed that they were free.  They were made aware of this 2 years after the emancipation proclamation was signed.  For this reason I don’t say “Celebrate Juneteenth”, I say “Remember Juneteenth”

These Africans worked for 2 more years thinking that they were slaves when in fact they were free.  As a native Texan, I have known of this holiday and commemorate it my entire life.  As an adult of 58 years old, I have recognized over the last few years that many folks Black and White outside of Texas had no idea about Juneteenth.  Now that it has become a federal holiday in the United States, more are learning about it as we continue to bring the truth to the light about the history of this country.  Now, you may be asking yourself what does this post have to do with my usual fare of posts that center around the experiences of being a Black person working in the tech industry.  Allow me to explain.  For me the focus of Juneteenth is that those who were enslaved were manipulated. 

Because the slave masters were aware that Lincoln had signed the emancipation proclamation, and they wanted to get more free labor out of the Africans they kept this information from them for 2 years.  And they used that knowledge to exploit them.  It was a strategy.  Those same strategies and techniques are used today.  How many times at work have you been the last one to hear about a change in policy that may benefit you?  Or perhaps an opportunity is available but you only hear about it after the fact.  Those that wish to exploit or take advantage of others continue to use this tactic.  It is particularly relevant if you are working in tech.  In this field, what you know from a technical standpoint is everything. You must keep up in order to stay relevant.  I have worked several jobs where books were kept from me.  I was not told about tools.  In fact, once I was actually reprimanded for having too many books on my desk.  This was in 2011 not 1863. 

The point is pay attention to how information is shared in your workplace and find a way to stay abreast of what is going on without having to rely on anyone.  And if you can’t do that and you have noticed you are the last to find out about things.  Let that be your Juneteenth moment and move on.