This Thursday on CBS Mornings, the present highlighted a phase in regards to the celebration of Juneteenth, a just lately acknowledged federal vacation that noticed the ultimate emancipation of slaves in the US was enforced in Texas, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Whereas it has been celebrated in black tradition for many years, it just lately picked up consideration in mainstream tradition and media because of the day being memorialized in laws signed by former President Joe Biden in 2021.
Whereas undoubtedly the ending of slavery in the US was a victory for freedom, the phase on CBS rapidly unraveled from logical dialog into the argument that white individuals ought to have fun the vacation by pushing for reparations.
The panel consisted of hosts Gayle King, Nate Burleson, Tony Dokoupil, and Professor and author Kellie Carter Jackson to debate celebrating the vacation. The dialog began regular sufficient, with Jackson recounting completely different historic traditions of the vacation and explaining how she concerned her youngsters in understanding slavery in an age-appropriate method.
That’s, till King requested how white individuals ought to observe the vacation. Amongst her solutions, lots of which appeared affordable– like researching the historical past of slavery within the U.S. – stood out a questionable however acquainted far-left speaking level:
All of us must take part. And I feel it is a day the place white individuals must do work. It’s a day the place they will help black companies, they will help black authors, they will examine the historical past of slavery, they will get as a lot data as doable. However then not simply sit on that data, act on it. So are you able to assist register individuals to vote, are you able to push for reparations, are you able to become involved in your neighborhood?
Reparations. White individuals can “push for reparations” to assist have fun the vacation. Which incorporates, however will not be restricted to, monetary help from the federal authorities to allegedly appropriate the wrongs of slavery.
Final summer time, Jackson additionally appeared on CBS Mornings to advertise her e-book We Refuse: A Forceful Historical past of Black Resistance, which praised political violence as the perfect technique to get outcomes for her agenda, and in addition steered that white individuals haven’t skilled the identical violent crimes as African-Individuals have, comparable to shootings.
The truth is, in 2021, she wrote an article for The Atlantic wherein she snubbed her nostril on the federal recognition of the vacation, huffing that the one motive Joe Biden signed-off on recognizing Juneteenth was to cover-up the “enduring legacy of slavery”. She claimed that it’s “not possible to have fun Juneteenth and concurrently deny the teachings of America’s foundational legacy,” baselessly arguing that the historical past of slavery wasn’t being taught in American faculties.
For Jackson, it appeared like the vacation was much less about celebrating the emancipation of slaves, one thing that ought to unite all Individuals collectively in a overcome racial evils, however extra about persevering with to divide America on race, touting “us versus them” rhetoric, and selling racial divides.
Your entire transcript is beneath. Click on “develop” to learn.
CBS Mornings
June 19, 2025
8:41:56 AM ESTTONY DOKOUPIL: How do you suppose households ought to discuss it?
KELLIE CARTER JACKSON: Oh, I’ve three children, so we discuss Juneteenth yearly. We have fun Juneteenth, I take my children to parades and festivals, there’s at all times a panel dialogue, one yr I bought my children coloring books, and we, like, coloured historic characters. However, for me it is essential that my youngsters know in regards to the historical past of slavery, what their ancestors survived, what they endured, at a age-appropriate stage, however we discuss this as a day of each desires and delays as a result of they waited two years to get freedom. But additionally, delight as a result of freedom is a superb factor.
GAYLE KING: What about somebody who is not black?
JACKSON: Oh, sure.
KING: How ought to they have fun? Ought to they have fun? –
JACKSON: – They need to.
KING: I imply, there’s plenty of division on this nation–
JACKSON: Sure–
KING: – About these sort of holidays, particularly now.
NATE BURLESON: That’s an excellent query.
JACKSON: Slavery is a nationwide sin.
KING: What’s a nationwide sin?
JACKSON: Slavery is a nationwide sin.
KING: Oh, okay.
JACKSON: So, all of us must take part. And I feel it is a day the place white individuals must do work. I feel it’s a day the place they will help black companies, they will help black authors, they will examine the historical past of slavery, they will get as a lot data as doable. However then not simply sit on that data, act on it. So are you able to assist register individuals to vote, are you able to push for reparations, are you able to become involved in your neighborhood? I feel–
BURLESON: Enter conversations and have dialogue–
JACKSON: Sure! Completely.
(…)
