Black organizers celebrate Juneteenth 2022 in Green Bay, Appleton; UWGB student Beachamp-Pope interviewed
Ivy Summers remembers Green Bay observing Juneteenth over 20 years ago as less of a celebration for Black people and more of an education campaign for the broader community.Being one of about 450 Black people living in Green Bay in the 90s, Summers said celebrating Juneteenth offered, for many city residents, an introduction to Black culture, a framing that Summers felt wasn’t necessarily for the Black community.
…That became abundantly clear to Beauchamp-Pope when she learned about Juneteenth her freshman year at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
No teachers prior to college had ever taught her about Juneteenth, said Beauchamp-Pope, who is now president of UWGB’s Black Student Union.
“It goes to show the Eurocentrism of our educational systems,” Beauchamp-Pope, 20, said. “Juneteenth is the Independence Day for African Americans, and the reason that’s important is our country is very racially divided, whether you’re looking at geography or the economic wealth gap. Everyone needs to understand this history.”
Source: Black organizers celebrate Juneteenth 2022 in Green Bay, Appleton