By: New Day at Amazon Editorial Board
[To read the full and original version of the June 2025 Edition of New Day at Amazon click here]
On June 19th, 1865, the last slaves in the American South, particularly in Texas, were ordered to be freed from the shackles of chattel slavery, according to the decree known as the Emancipation Proclamation. While the order had been made by President Abraham Lincoln two years prior, the news of the freeing of all slaves had taken its time to reach those held in Confederate territories. It took Congress months after Lincoln’s speech to even begin ratifying the 13th amendment, the one that abolished slavery across the country. Yet, the story about Juneteenth rarely ever deviates from hailing the US government and its soldiers as saviors of Black people in the United States; it’s always about Sherman’s march to the sea, it’s always about how the Union had the manpower and factories to sustain the war economy. But we never take a step back and truly understand the sacrifices and militancy that the millions of slaves across the American South undertook to force the Union to acknowledge them as full human beings.
As the war raged on from 1861-1865, numerous slave revolts, the operation of the Underground Railroad (a network of tunnels and routes that allowed slaves to escape north to free regions), and the inclusion of Black troops in the Union military crippled the South’s economy and military infrastructure. According to renowned historian and Marxist W.E.B. DuBois, “[The “general strike” and] this revolt of the slaves and the prospect of a much larger movement among the 4,000,000 other slaves, was the real cause of the sudden cessation of the war.” He argues that as Union troops entered regions, and slaves learned word of this, they immediately ceased working on plantations, overpowered plantation overseers, and presented themselves to Union camps to join the war effort. It was this mass replenishment of manpower and the stoppage of work on plantations, (otherwise known as a “general strike”) that won the Union the war.
As we celebrate 160 years of Juneteenth, we should never forget the necessity of withholding labor power when it comes to demanding more of our governments and employers. Black people all across the south proved that a little organization against those who wish to exploit and mistreat us can go a long way. As we celebrate Juneteenth, let us not forget the long and ongoing history of violence committed against Black people in this country, something that did not end with the Civil War or the Civil Rights Movement 100 years after it. As we celebrate Juneteenth, let us not forget that we are witnessing a period of history where white supremacy is being reignited to serve the interests of the ruling class. Those same oppressors run corporations like Amazon, they decide our wages, when to fire us, and when to force us to work more. They’re the same people turning a blind eye to the oppression and discrimination of our immigrant coworkers; and they’re laughing as they deport people simply looking to survive. They’re the same people committing genocide in Palestine and looking to cause a war with Iran on behalf of Israel. This Juneteenth, let’s recognize the contributions of those who came before us, and let’s look forward to where we need to go. We have nothing to lose but our chains.
LONG LIVE JUNETEENTH!
BLACK WORKERS UNITE!
AMAZON WORKERS UNITE!
