One by one this week, 13 members of the Arizona Football program filed into the lobby of Lowell-Stevens Football Facility to answer a question with an exceptionally powerful answer.
What is Juneteenth?
The 13 student-athletes each took time to look deep into a camera to deliver a reply and also offer a historical lesson of what led up to and followed Juneteenth.
As running back
Nazar Bombata states immediately in the video, now available on Arizona Athletics social media channels and here on ArizonaWildcats.com, "Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States."
Bombata then goes on to begin to explain the history behind Juneteenth with the help of 12 of his teammates, while also providing a timeline of events in this country both pre and post the ending of slavery.
"I felt empowered being able to speak and use my voice to bring attention to something more than just football," Bombata said. "I feel that I can help be a voice for those who won't be heard."
Following Bombata,
Edgar Burrola,
Josh Donovan,
Nazar Bombata,
JB Brown,
Jalen Harris,
Drew Dixon,
Myles Tapusoa,
Eddie Siaumau-Sanitoa,
Jamari Williams,
Stanley Berryhill III,
Jamarye Joiner,
Stacey Marshall and
Woody Jean went on to have their voices heard as well.
As the student-athletes tell it in the video, on June 19
th, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. This came more than two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln enacted the Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are, and from this point forward shall be free."
However, it wasn't until December 6, 1865 that the 13
th Amendment was ratified by Congress, officially abolishing the institution of slavery.
In the video, the various Wildcats also explain significant dates in American history that detail the racial divide.
Among the events chronicled are:
- July 9th, 1868: The 14th Amendment was ratified "granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States." This granted African Americans citizenship.
- February 3rd, 1870: The 15th Amendment was ratified giving African American males the right to vote. Unfortunately, it did not address women or poll taxes.
- May 18th, 1896: The U.S. Supreme Court changes history with the Court's "separate but equal" decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, this decision upheld state-imposed Jim Crow laws. It became the legal basis for racial segregation in the United States for the next fifty years.
- February 12, 1909: Start of the NAACP: It was formed in New York City by white and black activists, partially in response to the ongoing violence against African Americans around the country. NAACP is the largest and most recognized civil rights organization in the country.
- August 6, 1965: Lyndon B Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law. This act aimed to overcome legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote.
The experience for the student-athletes relaying historical facts and detailing so many important dates showing racial inequality was an emotional one. It offered them a platform to have their voice heard.
"I loved being put in this position to represent African Americans in the sport of football and bringing awareness to the social injustices that have been happening for years," Joiner said. "I'm honored to speak on behalf of Juneteenth and Arizona Athletics."
The video ends with a strong statement from the players on what comes next.
In full, it reads: As we continue to fight against social injustices for people of color, let us not forget the progress we have made and how far we still need to go. We know that there are many other dates that are significant in African American history and these are just a few. Thank you to those who came before us and paved the way for us to be free. We accept the responsibility to fight against injustices, prejudices, and racism. We got it from here!"
Indeed they do.
