Celebrating Freedom

It seems to me that a cultural dilemma would arise when a person is asked when is Independence Day. As an American I would say that the date nationally celebrated as Independence Day is July 4th .
Still as an African-American I must acknowledge that the July 4th had nothing to do with my ancestors independence.
In 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson it had nothing to with the independence of black slaves living in the English colonies.
Actually the section of the declaration that even mentioned the denouncement of the slave trade in the colonies was deleted before the declaration was ratified by the Second Constitutional Congress.
Though some would like to think that “Every Man is Created equal…” included everyone, at the time, blacks were commonly thought of as property and not as people. This conception therefore excluded them from “every man” and placed slaves in the category of the colonists’ right to “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.”
This brings me to the true date of Independence for African-Americans or at least those in the south.
Two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation General Gordon Granger landed on the shores of Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War was over and slaves were now freemen.
He landed on June 19, 1865.
This is my dilemma, if you are African and American what date you celebrate?
Many African-Americans in the United States know little more than July 4th and widely celebrate this as their day of Independence, showing patriotism with flags, picnics, fireworks and the formation of a country that once considered them property.
They buy new outfits, get their hair done, and make plans to visit beaches that at one time would not even allow them to set foot on the sand.
While at the same time they also know very little about the true meaning of Juneteenth and why it is so important to our culture.
Personally I celebrate both days of independence but I keep in mind that at least one of these days truly provided freedom to me and mine.
A wise man once said, that those who are ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it. My advice; know where you came from and only then can you celebrate freedom.