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High Republican contenders within the 2024 presidential race have been noticeably silent about Juneteenth on Monday, a federal vacation marking the tip of U.S. slavery that was unanimously handed by each Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Congress.
Former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, the highest 4 candidates in line with Actual Clear Politics, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie all appeared to forgo acknowledging Juneteenth.
TheGrio reached out to the campaigns of Trump, DeSantis, Pence, Haley and Christie for touch upon why the candidates didn’t publicly tackle Juneteenth or to make clear their stance on the federal vacation. Not one of the campaigns responded by the point of publication.
Till it turned federal legislation in 2021, Juneteenth was virtually solely celebrated by Black People as a substitute for Independence Day. Through the nation’s founding in 1776, many argued all People weren’t free, as Black People remained enslaved for one more 89 years.
Nevertheless, some Republican candidates did mark the vacation publicly, together with U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and radio speak present host Larry Elder, who’re all candidates of colour, in addition to former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. The entire candidates are polling lower than 2%, except Scott, who’s polling at 3.6%.
Their messages have been a distinction to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who acknowledged the immense progress made with race in America but in addition famous the systemic obstacles that also exist for thousands and thousands of Black People – together with insurance policies and legal guidelines not too long ago enacted by Republicans.
“We honor Juneteenth to not dwell on our authentic sin as a nation, however to showcase simply how far we’ve come,” tweeted Scott, who’s the premier Black man within the 2024 contest. “We are able to’t neglect the teachings of our previous, however we should all the time proceed to attempt in direction of a extra good union.”
Throughout an interview with Fox Enterprise, Elder, who can be Black, took a extra combative tone and referred to as out Democrats for “pushing down our throats about systemic racism,” which he referred to as “completely insulting.”
Ramaswamy, who’s of Indian descent, mentioned in a Juneteenth video message that, “Regardless of your pores and skin colour … you get forward on this nation based mostly by yourself exhausting work, your personal dedication and your personal dedication.”
In an announcement offered to theGrio, the Democratic Nationwide Committee slammed Republican presidential hopefuls who remained silent on Juneteenth.
“Whereas MAGA Republicans marketing campaign on erasing historical past and banning books, it’s not shocking a lot of them would blatantly ignore the federal vacation celebrating the hard-won freedoms of Black People,” mentioned DNC spokesperson Rhyan Lake.
“Whereas President Biden and Vice President Harris have delivered traditionally low Black unemployment and are preventing to safeguard and construct on the progress we’ve made, these GOP hopefuls have made it abundantly clear that they’re extra involved with pandering to their MAGA base than serving our communities.”
Christina M. Greer, affiliate professor of political science at Fordham College and host of theGrio’s “The Blackest Questions” podcast, mentioned she is just not stunned by the reactions of Republicans or lack thereof on Juneteenth.
“We don’t hear any of those candidates speaking about … the very actual previous that impacts a lot of our each day experiences, not simply as Black individuals, individuals of colour, marginalized communities, [and] immigrants,” Greer instructed theGrio.
She mentioned that the silence is a results of a shift within the Republican Celebration that’s “fully taken over” by right-wing “extremists.”
Political strategist Alencia Johnson identified {that a} majority of the Republican presidential candidates who didn’t touch upon Juneteenth are additionally driving “tradition wars,” together with DeSantis, who’s seen because the architect of an “anti-woke” motion in opposition to a slew of insurance policies associated to race.
As governor of Florida, DeSantis moved to ban sure teachings about slavery and racism in public college lecture rooms and prohibited public {dollars} from getting used to fund range packages in public schools. A number of Republican candidates erroneously characterised these classroom teachings as essential race concept, which is now a catchall phrase for all issues associated to race and historical past.
“In the event that they have been to acknowledge [Juneteenth], it might go in opposition to their whole agenda that, fairly frankly, is attempting to take us again to the times … earlier than the Civil Rights Act [and] earlier than the Voting Rights Act,” mentioned Johnson.
She added, “Republicans is not going to acknowledge that they’re treading the water for white nationalism that has been emboldened” throughout the social gathering.
Days earlier than Juneteenth, DeSantis and Pence referred to as for a army base in North Carolina to be renamed after slave-owning accomplice common Braxton Bragg. When he was president, Trump opposed Bragg’s title and different accomplice leaders being faraway from army bases, calling them “a part of an excellent American heritage.”
“So long as it’s white historical past, then that’s American historical past, however they refuse to acknowledge Black historical past as American historical past as properly, they usually label it as divisive,” mentioned Greer, who referred to accomplice generals as “treasonous traitors” who misplaced the American Civil Battle.
“That is pandering [and] it’s deliberate and express to sign to their extremist white voters that these are the varieties of insurance policies that they’ll uphold,” she added. “Not about Juneteenth and fairness and inclusion.”
Gerren Keith Gaynor is a White Home Correspondent and the Managing Editor of Politics at theGrio. He’s based mostly in Washington, D.C.
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