14. Juneteenth: Celebrating Freedom and Teaching Our Children

Hey everyone, welcome back to *Stethoscopes and Strollers*! Today is a special Juneteenth episode, and I'm so excited to share it with you. Here’s what we cover:

Episode Highlights:

- Juneteenth Overview: Celebrating Juneteenth, now a federal holiday, marking the day enslaved people in Texas learned they were free on June 19, 1865.

- Personal Story: Sharing a moment with my South African Au Pair who noticed my Juneteenth T-shirt, sparking a conversation about what Juneteenth means.

- Teaching My Son: Reflecting on how to explain Juneteenth to my four-year-old son. It's a delicate balance of being honest but age-appropriate.

- Positive Reinforcement: Discussing how we focus on positive affirmations about his skin color and identity while gradually introducing more historical context.

- Future Conversations: Planning to expand on these discussions as he grows older and can understand more complex aspects of history.

Key Messages:

- Hope and Resilience: Emphasizing the importance of hope and resilience as we teach our kids about difficult histories.

- Cultural Awareness: Encouraging all parents to talk to their kids about Juneteenth, helping them appreciate and understand this significant part of American history.

- Positive Identity: Highlighting the importance of building a positive sense of identity in our children, especially in the face of historical and current challenges.

Encouragement for Listeners:

- Start the Conversation: Don't shy away from discussing important historical events like Juneteenth with your kids. Use resources that frame these conversations positively.

- Acknowledge History: Understanding where we've been helps us navigate where we are and where we're going, instilling hope in uncertain times.

- Stay Connected: Follow along for more episodes as we continue to explore motherhood, medicine, and everything in between.

- Share and Discuss: Share this episode with other parents and have a conversation about how you're teaching your children about Juneteenth.

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Transcript

Happy Juneteenth. It is Freedom Day. So if you don't know, June 19th is now a federal holiday. It is in celebration of the day that the enslaved in Texas were told that they were free. June 19th, 1865. That is a full two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed because You know, well, Texas.

So I wanted to make a special episode for today and share something that happened with my au pair. So I wore one of my Juneteenth t-shirts. And it was a black t-shirt with red, green, and black, which are the colors that are used to celebrate Juneteenth. But they're also freedom colors. She's South African.

So she immediately identified it and was like, Oh my God, I love your shirt. And then I turned and she saw it. She was like, June, Jun. What is that?  I was like, it's Juneteenth. Do you know what that is? She said, oh, no, what is that? I was like, Oh, you don't know. So we are going to teach you, but they were on their way out. So I just made a note that when I'm teaching my son about Juneteenth, she will also be part of the lesson. So I definitely feel like this is a good year to start telling him about Juneteenth, because we've had Juneteenth gatherings before, which I talk about on the other episode that is dropping today. But he was young, he's only just now four, and now I can tell he has such an amazing level of comprehension but how do I explain? The significance of such a holiday to a four-year-old. Like, how do I tell him that people who look just like him were enslaved for no other reason than they look just like him. It is something that I think about and I still haven't actually figured it out. You know, I am recording this beforehand so I still have time,  but I don't want to just not talk to him about it.

That's not an option. But, how much detail do I give, because he is still four, even though he's smart. I don't know. And the thing about it is, he's already experienced firsthand racism. And because of that, the way that we speak now, we just focus on the positives, right? So when it comes to his skin color, when it comes to who he is, because we just want to build him up.

before the world tears him down again. And when the incident happened, he was definitely too young to really understand. , I don't know how much of it he remembers. But we, we just focus on telling him his skin is beautiful, making sure he knows that people have different skin colors and, you know, that's okay, everybody's different.

But this is something that I don't, I don't know how to skirt around it to make it more palatable for a four-year-old. I don't want to scar him,  I also don't want to. Make him feel inferior. I don't want to somehow make it seem like something that happened. To those people over there and is completely unrelated to him because even though I'm not an American descendant of Slaves I am a black person who lives in this country for all intents and purposes The world sees me as African American until they hear me start to speak the world will definitely see him.

He was born here He is technically an African American, even though he's also not descendant of American slaves, but he is a descendant of the enslaved. And this is important for all of us, especially for me, because I grew up celebrating Emancipation Day.  So, as I was thinking about this, I did a quick Google search and the National Museum of African American History and Culture has on their website, the historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times. And, I like that it is a positive statement. It doesn't fully encompass the true meaning of Juneteenth by any means, but it's a good place to start for a four-year-old. So I think when I talk to him  I will, frame it from this aspect. And as he gets older, go into a little bit more detail, adding on what he can handle as he ages.

And that's really, All I can do at this point, of course, I'm going to then talk to my au pair on the side,  like I do always, and actually tell her what it's really about, because she's a whole 28 years old. but yeah, so that's, that's what I'm going to try. Maybe I'll make an episode after I talk to him and, and, tell you how it went. 

So I hope that you are inspired to speak to your babies if they are old enough, I think it is important for all of us to know and acknowledge this important piece of American history, if we are American, if we live in this country, so we truly understand. Where we were, we can look at where we are now, and still never give up hope in these uncertain times.  I hope you have a happy Juneteenth and see you on the next episode of Stethoscopes and Strollers.