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| Kamala Harris and Joe Biden at Juneteenth Ceremony |
Enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation, he decreed that all Texas slaves were now free and equal. Juneteenth commemorates the formal abolition of slavery in Texas. By extension, it has become a national a symbol of liberation. Texas has proudly celebrated June 19 as a state holiday since 1979. Two days ago, President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a national holiday. His White House speech did not merely celebrate slavery’s end, but also challenged the nation to adopt further civil rights legislation. Biden did not make the usual kinds of policy arguments that we expect from Democrats: for example, he didn’t give facts and figures about racial oppression, nor did he cite examples from recent history of African Americans needlessly killed by police.
Instead, following the example of all good ceremonial speakers, Biden moved straight from values to policy. Juneteenth represents values. Facts and figures prove truth, which is excellent, but it is values – the distinctions between good and evil, the contrast between what is worthy of praise and what deserves blame – that warms people’s hearts and moves them to action.
First, Biden Praised Juneteenth
Starting his argument, Biden contrasted the horrors of slavery against the promise of liberation that Juneteenth celebrates:
In a clever rhetorical move, Biden praised the bipartisanship which enabled Democrats and Republicans in Congress alike to vote for the bill that made Juneteenth a national holiday:
Second, Biden Transitioned to the Need for Change
People only change if they feel a compelling need. Biden reminded his audience that we had just noted the anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. He concluded that:
Third, Biden Called for New Policies
Having celebrated the values of Juneteenth, and having reminded the audience that we need changes, Biden listed a series of new policies:
And Voting Rights
None of those good things will happen if people don’t vote. Ever since Reconstruction ended, African-Americans have struggled for the right to vote. Republican legislatures across the country are even now proposing and often passing laws that make it harder for people to vote, especially if they are elderly or live in urban or rural areas. These restrictions will presumably impact minority voting at a high level, just as literacy tests impacted African-American voting in the Jim Crow era. Biden faced voting rights head-on:
And, Finally, Back to Values
We started this discussion by looking at how ceremonial speeches talk about values. Ceremonial speakers push their policies with values, not detailed proof. Going full-circle in his conclusion, Biden returned to the values of Juneteenth:
Starting his argument, Biden contrasted the horrors of slavery against the promise of liberation that Juneteenth celebrates:
“Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, and a promise of a brighter morning to come. This is a day of profound — in my view — profound weight and profound power.”Instead of hiding from the evils of slavery, as too many politicians do, Biden describes slavery as “the moral stain,” and referred to it as “America’s original sin.”
In a clever rhetorical move, Biden praised the bipartisanship which enabled Democrats and Republicans in Congress alike to vote for the bill that made Juneteenth a national holiday:
“I’m especially pleased that we showed the nation that we can come together as Democrats and Republicans to commemorate this day with the overwhelming bipartisan support of the Congress.”Finally, to bring home the human side of Juneteenth, he introduced Ms. Opal Lee, a 94-year-old African-American woman from Texas who had celebrated Juneteenth since her girlhood. Lee had been campaigning on foot for decades to make Juneteenth a holiday.
Second, Biden Transitioned to the Need for Change
People only change if they feel a compelling need. Biden reminded his audience that we had just noted the anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. He concluded that:
“Great nations don’t ignore their most painful moments. Great nations don’t ignore their most painful moments. They don’t ignore those moments of the past. They embrace them. Great nations don’t walk away. . . . And in remembering those moments, we begin to heal and grow stronger.”
Third, Biden Called for New Policies
Having celebrated the values of Juneteenth, and having reminded the audience that we need changes, Biden listed a series of new policies:
“To honor the true meaning of Juneteenth, we have to continue toward that promise because we’ve not gotten there yet.”Biden felt that it was important to increase homeownership by African-Americans. So, the first policy that Biden advocated was to overcome housing discrimination:
“That’s why we’ve launched an aggressive effort to combat racial discrimination in housing — finally address the cruel fact that a home owned, to this day, by a Black American family is usually appraised at a lower rate for a similar home owned by a white family in a similar area.”Recognizing the importance of education, Biden advocated improved public preschool education:
“That’s why we’re working to give each and every child, three and four years of age, not daycare, but school — in a school. (Applause.)”Next in his policy list, Biden turned to college education. His idea was to increase the opportunities for African American students to participate in faculty research. He said that he sought to encourage “the incredibly creative and innovation – innovation of the history – of our Historical Black Colleges and Universities.” Biden said that increased research centers at those schools would help their students prepare for advanced industrial jobs.
And Voting Rights
None of those good things will happen if people don’t vote. Ever since Reconstruction ended, African-Americans have struggled for the right to vote. Republican legislatures across the country are even now proposing and often passing laws that make it harder for people to vote, especially if they are elderly or live in urban or rural areas. These restrictions will presumably impact minority voting at a high level, just as literacy tests impacted African-American voting in the Jim Crow era. Biden faced voting rights head-on:
“We see this assault from restrictive laws, threats of intimidation, voter purges, and more — an assault that offends the very democracy — our very democracy.”Once again, Biden focused on values: “offends . . . our very democracy.”
And, Finally, Back to Values
We started this discussion by looking at how ceremonial speeches talk about values. Ceremonial speakers push their policies with values, not detailed proof. Going full-circle in his conclusion, Biden returned to the values of Juneteenth:
“We can’t rest until the promise of equality is fulfilled for every one of us in every corner of this nation. That, to me, is the meaning of Juneteenth. That’s what it’s about.”History. Values. Equality. African-American tradition. A long, ugly heritage of slavery and voter suppression. Conservatives, of course, often prefer to ignore these things. If we admit something is wrong, we concede the need to change.
Mike Pence’s Speech at the Marine Barracks: Policy without Proof?
Given Congress’ extreme partisanship, combined with the Republican impulse to oppose anything and everything, Biden wisely emphasized the bipartisan legislation that established Juneteenth. Maybe, one hopes, if Republicans get in the habit of occasionally voting for good things, we might be able to move forward.
And, yes, Biden is right. Our mistakes are better teachers than our triumphs. Slavery and racial oppression were horrible mistakes. Biden supported his list of policies by citing values – values that Republicans and Democrats alike had endorsed in legislation. Celebrating Juneteenth’s values, Biden urged the nation to move forward. As the United States celebrates the first national Juneteenth holiday, are we ready to move into the future?
P.S. American slavery did not end at once. The Emancipation Proclamation only freed slaves in areas that were not under Union control, so its effect was delayed. The 13th Amendment came later. In real life, slavery continued in the South, at a reduced level, well into the 1920s under various legalistic tricks. For further information about one of those tricks, check out the movie Sounder and watch it with your family. Chain gangs, in which African-American men received long prison terms at forced labor on trumped-up charges, were supposedly abolished before World War II. However, I often saw them in rural Virginia as late as the 1960s.
Research Note
An extensive research literature shows how ceremonial speakers use values and traditions to advocate policies. I have contributed a few papers and chapters to the topic. I’m happiest about “African-American Rhetoric of Greeting during McKinley’s Front Porch Campaign,” which I published in 2010 in the Howard Journal of Communication. To read an almost-final copy at no charge, click William D. Harpine’s Publications above. In the technical literature, ceremonial speaking is also called epideictic speaking (from a Greek word that means “showing forth”) or “occasional speaking” (which refers to a speech given on a particular occasion.)
Image: White House YouTube channel.
Given Congress’ extreme partisanship, combined with the Republican impulse to oppose anything and everything, Biden wisely emphasized the bipartisan legislation that established Juneteenth. Maybe, one hopes, if Republicans get in the habit of occasionally voting for good things, we might be able to move forward.
And, yes, Biden is right. Our mistakes are better teachers than our triumphs. Slavery and racial oppression were horrible mistakes. Biden supported his list of policies by citing values – values that Republicans and Democrats alike had endorsed in legislation. Celebrating Juneteenth’s values, Biden urged the nation to move forward. As the United States celebrates the first national Juneteenth holiday, are we ready to move into the future?
P.S. American slavery did not end at once. The Emancipation Proclamation only freed slaves in areas that were not under Union control, so its effect was delayed. The 13th Amendment came later. In real life, slavery continued in the South, at a reduced level, well into the 1920s under various legalistic tricks. For further information about one of those tricks, check out the movie Sounder and watch it with your family. Chain gangs, in which African-American men received long prison terms at forced labor on trumped-up charges, were supposedly abolished before World War II. However, I often saw them in rural Virginia as late as the 1960s.
Research Note
An extensive research literature shows how ceremonial speakers use values and traditions to advocate policies. I have contributed a few papers and chapters to the topic. I’m happiest about “African-American Rhetoric of Greeting during McKinley’s Front Porch Campaign,” which I published in 2010 in the Howard Journal of Communication. To read an almost-final copy at no charge, click William D. Harpine’s Publications above. In the technical literature, ceremonial speaking is also called epideictic speaking (from a Greek word that means “showing forth”) or “occasional speaking” (which refers to a speech given on a particular occasion.)
Image: White House YouTube channel.
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