Juneteenth set to become a federal holiday in the USA

[monsterkitty]

I can understand why so many have no clue what Juneteenth is. As I said, it’s really a Texas specific holiday. Outside of Texas, I wouldn’t expect anyone to know much about it.

I'm grew up in the Denver area. I can't remember when we didn't celebrate Juneteenth. It was a shock to us a few years ago when some friends from another state were here and we asked if they wanted to go with us to the festival. They had no idea what we were talking about!

 

[joedplumber]

This is a great idea to have as a federal holiday. HR just informed us that it has been added to the company holiday calendar. That now gets the holiday calendar for my company up to 17 paid holidays. But who's counting...

 

[Lilsia]

If you work a company holiday (assuming you're 'exempt' or 'hourly'), you should get paid double time.

8 hours "holiday" pay.
8 hours "work" pay

If you don't work a company holiday, you should just get the 8 hours "holiday" pay.

Obviously companies can choose to pay more.

Of course they "should", but that does not mean that all do. I have not received any extra holiday pay for any companies that I have worked for in the last 18 years. I am an hourly employee.

 

[wvjules]

It will be a federal holiday tomorrow.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I don't understand why there is even a tiny bit of disagreement and 'whatabout-ism' on this thread and elsewhere. This is a unilaterally good thing. Juneteenth has always been a significant holiday for people of color in the United States, people who don't get enough recognition for their achievements in the face of overwhelming odds. It's right and just that it should be recognized by the US government as a federal holiday. I would be interested to know...and maybe understand...the reasons for any pushback. I'm not accusing anyone, I honestly don't get it.

 

[dez1978]

I had never heard of it until a few years ago when a coworker was telling me about it.

Of course they "should", but that does not mean that all do. I have not received any extra holiday pay for any companies that I have worked for in the last 18 years. I am an hourly employee.

I have never worked anywhere in the last 25 yrs I didn't get holiday pay when working a federal holiday. I've always gotten it at my full time job, but even when I was a waitress or bartender at different places I've gotten paid time and a half or double depending on the holiday.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Just because you have heard of it before just recently doesn’t mean everyone here in the US has. Our country like many others (even your with the recent discovery of children’s bodies being discovered at a school to ‘civilize native people) , tend to brush bad stuff under the rug until someone stumbles upon it or just ignores certain things.
For example: The movie Hidden Figures: I partially grew up where women were part of NASA at Langley and it was NEVER mentioned in school. Why? Because women back then and more so women of color were thought of as “less then” and white men took all the credit for sending up things and men into space.

I agree, what a strange way to turn a thread. Citizens of many countries can readily admit they are not taught everything they should be taught, that some things are hushed about in certain areas with other areas more aware or a collective hush even. At the same time some people do tend to use opportunities in ways they shouldn't be. IMO much like your examples we should be using this as an opportunity to grow our knowledge not ironically brush the significance of it under the rug by way of I know and I'm not even a citizen of your country.

 

[Orion Nebula]

I think it's a good idea but from a day off stand point it won't do anything for me.

 

[disneyjunkie]

it will just turn into another “big sale at stores “day.

Not if people refuse to have the holiday exploited.

 

[wvjules]

I think it's a good idea but from a day off stand point it won't do anything for me.

And? Who cares? It's not about getting the day off. It's about recognizing the date and what happened in 1865. Period. Arguing about who gets it off, paid, not paid, double time, etc. completely misses the point.

 

[sam_gordon]

Not if people refuse to have the holiday exploited.

I'll bite. Every other holiday has been commercially exploited, so how do you propose people "refuse" this one?

 

[Allison]

I'm Canadian who spends very little time in the USA and I've heard of this holiday. There is no reason an American should claim ignorance about not knowing what it is.

That isn't true and is very rude.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I think anyone who has an ancestor who fought for the Union army will be happy about this.

And those of us whose ancestors were enslaved.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I can understand why so many have no clue what Juneteenth is. As I said, it’s really a Texas specific holiday. Outside of Texas, I wouldn’t expect anyone to know much about it.

My city, Richmond, Va, has had Juneteenth celebrations for as long as I’ve lived here. During the Civil War, it was the capitol of the Confederacy, so maybe that’s why. I don’t know the history of the celebrations here though.

 

[JimMIA]

.

All due respect, it doesn’t really matter which one is more meaningful to you.

Just my opinion. No need to be snotty.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

.
Just my opinion. No need to be snotty.

Not being snotty. But it is true that we aren’t the ones who get to determine which date means more.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Yeah, thanks. I was just curious. FYI, the A.R. is different from the C.W. by 100 years. As for JPJ, he became the father of the US Navy. There are songs and movies about him:

The Dutch would often repair his ships and helped get him an emergency USA naval flag for his ship so he would not be arrested. All to the annoyance of the British.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serapis_flag

I think you overestimate how much interest/knowledge people in other countries have in US history. Not everyone outside the USA knows American history.

Just because you have heard of it before just recently doesn’t mean everyone here in the US has. Our country like many others (even your with the recent discovery of children’s bodies being discovered at a school to ‘civilize native people) , tend to brush bad stuff under the rug until someone stumbles upon it or just ignores certain things.
For example: The movie Hidden Figures: I partially grew up where women were part of NASA at Langley and it was NEVER mentioned in school. Why? Because women back then and more so women of color were thought of as “less then” and white men took all the credit for sending up things and men into space.

I guess if they never bother reading news of any sort. Juneteenth has been in the news a lot in the last few years. Your PRESIDENTS have made statements regarding it several times in the last decade. Then it just become being deliberately obtuse.

This new holiday does remind me that we have a new federal holiday to remember us of the atrocities of residential schools in September.

 

[Alicefan]

I agree sometimes things get amplified when they didn't have to be but I disagree on this one. It came off dismissive (even if honest curiosity was there) though I won't say I was offended. They may not have intended that (which is why I felt I needed to add that on my response to them) but none the less there was quite a consensus here (and that's saying something for this forum). I doubt the response would have gotten much other than the date if all the question was 'what date is it' but adding in 'so-called holiday' turns the conversation into something else. The disrespect seen is because of the significance behind it and changes the perception of the addition of 'so-called' into a dismissive nature.

I'm really trying to give benefit of the doubt here but I see and agree with the other side too.

I totally hear you and I think I just get tired of the mob mentality to jump on someone. I guess I didn't see it as disrespectful because she had no idea what the subject was. I do get where you're coming from though.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Not if people refuse to have the holiday exploited.

With all due respect, most US businesses in this economy will try to make it so (respectfully) in order to make up profits for the last two years.

 

[Buzz Rules]

And those of us whose ancestors were enslaved.

Very true for both cases.