Usher, Taylor Swift and More Stars Encourage Fans to Celebrate Juneteenth

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Usher, Taylor Swift and More Stars Encourage Fans to Celebrate Juneteenth

Juneteenth is one of the most important days in American history — and celebrities are using their platforms to remind their fans of just that. The holiday falls on June 19 each year and commemorates the end of slavery in America in 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln passed the Emancipation Proclamation. While the nation continues to mourn the loss of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and more victims of police brutality, many celebrities have taken this moment to advocate for making Juneteenth a nationally recognized holiday. In a lengthy Washington Post op-ed, Usher detailed how the significant day should be widely celebrated. "We could observe it, as many black Americans already do, by celebrating both our first step toward freedom as black people in America and also the many contributions to this land," he wrote. "The construction of Black Wall Street; the invention of jazz, rock n' roll, hip-hop and R&B; and all the entrepreneurship and business brilliance, extraordinary cuisine, sports excellence, political power and global cultural influence black Americans have given the world." The "Climax" singer continued: "As an artist, it is my duty to reflect the trying times in which we live. My heart is shattered by the ongoing injustices in this country, incited by its long history of racism that has led to deadly outcomes for too many of our people. This country must change." [jwplayer 8Rn1yuvO-l3ahXupL] Fellow musician Pharrell Williams has also expressed a desire for the holiday to become a state and national holiday, appearing in his home state of Virginia to discuss the important meaning behind celebrating Freedom Day. On Friday, June 19, he went into more detail about the day's history during an interview on the Today show. "This should be a holiday for everyone," he explained. "Our ancestors, their lives were given — they gave their lives, they gave their flesh, they gave their minds. There wasn't much acknowledgment for the fact that, you know, we never really had our Independence Day like we should have. When July 4, 1776, happened, it was really only our white brothers who were free." Black celebrities aren't the only ones fighting for recognition for this historic day. Vocal allies like Taylor Swift have started to use their prominent platforms to fight for change and equality as support for the Black Lives Matter movement continues to grow. "For my family, everything that has transpired recently gives us an opportunity to reflect, listen, and reprogram any part of our lives that hasn't been loudly and ferociously anti-racist, and to never let privilege lie dormant when it could be used to stand up for what's right," the Nashville native explained in a thoughtful Instagram post on Friday. Scroll down to see how more celebrities are speaking out to honor Juneteenth this year. [podcast_block]

Credit: Shutterstock (2)

Usher, Taylor Swift and More Stars Encourage Fans to Celebrate Juneteenth

Juneteenth is one of the most important days in American history — and celebrities are using their platforms to remind their fans of just that. The holiday falls on June 19 each year and commemorates the end of slavery in America in 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln passed the Emancipation Proclamation. While the nation continues to mourn the loss of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and more victims of police brutality, many celebrities have taken this moment to advocate for making Juneteenth a nationally recognized holiday. In a lengthy Washington Post op-ed, Usher detailed how the significant day should be widely celebrated. "We could observe it, as many black Americans already do, by celebrating both our first step toward freedom as black people in America and also the many contributions to this land," he wrote. "The construction of Black Wall Street; the invention of jazz, rock n' roll, hip-hop and R&B; and all the entrepreneurship and business brilliance, extraordinary cuisine, sports excellence, political power and global cultural influence black Americans have given the world." The "Climax" singer continued: "As an artist, it is my duty to reflect the trying times in which we live. My heart is shattered by the ongoing injustices in this country, incited by its long history of racism that has led to deadly outcomes for too many of our people. This country must change." [jwplayer 8Rn1yuvO-l3ahXupL] Fellow musician Pharrell Williams has also expressed a desire for the holiday to become a state and national holiday, appearing in his home state of Virginia to discuss the important meaning behind celebrating Freedom Day. On Friday, June 19, he went into more detail about the day's history during an interview on the Today show. "This should be a holiday for everyone," he explained. "Our ancestors, their lives were given — they gave their lives, they gave their flesh, they gave their minds. There wasn't much acknowledgment for the fact that, you know, we never really had our Independence Day like we should have. When July 4, 1776, happened, it was really only our white brothers who were free." Black celebrities aren't the only ones fighting for recognition for this historic day. Vocal allies like Taylor Swift have started to use their prominent platforms to fight for change and equality as support for the Black Lives Matter movement continues to grow. "For my family, everything that has transpired recently gives us an opportunity to reflect, listen, and reprogram any part of our lives that hasn't been loudly and ferociously anti-racist, and to never let privilege lie dormant when it could be used to stand up for what's right," the Nashville native explained in a thoughtful Instagram post on Friday. Scroll down to see how more celebrities are speaking out to honor Juneteenth this year. [podcast_block]

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Chris Brown

To pay his respects on the historic cultural day, the "Look at Me Now" rapper posted a definition of Juneteenth on Instagram with a red heart emoji and a fist emoji.

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Kris Jenner

"Today we commemorate Juneteenth, a day to celebrate freedom and to acknowledge that there is still a long way to go in the fight for justice and equality," the reality TV personality explained in a thoughtful Instagram post. "I hope that the attention we can all help bring to a day that has been celebrated for so many years in the black community, and one that is so important in our country’s history, will help us move forward in the direction of recognition and change."

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Mandy Moore

The This Is Us star was one of many celebrities who took the time to remind their followers of the origins of Freedom Day. "In the midst of this collective moment of reflection and accountability, it's imperative to keep learning because Black History is American History," she wrote on Instagram alongside an illustration by artist Jeanetta Gonzales.

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Justin Bieber

"Happy Juneteenth," a photo shared by the "Baby" crooner on Instagram read. "May our commitment to justice and liberation be greater than our fear of the risk of fighting for it."

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Jennifer Lopez

The "On the Floor" singer shared a petition made by 93-year-old Texas native Opal Lee in honor of the historic day. "If the petition reaches its goal of 500K signatures, they will work to have legislation update US code 36, which is the list of official US observances, to add Juneteenth," she captioned a lengthy Instagram post on Friday, encouraging her followers to take action in support of the black community.

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Selena Gomez

After spending the week letting black activists and authors use her platform to raise awareness for their causes, the "Rare" singer addressed the systemic racism that still exists in America to this day. "Educating ourselves is the first step if we hope to make any progress in bringing an end to systemic racism. As much as one might want to believe things have gotten better we cannot deny any longer that they have not," she wrote in a lengthy Instagram post. "We need to acknowledge that social, political and economic discrimination against Black communities continues to exist. There is a deep pain that needs to be healed. Unless this is recognized history will continue to repeat itself over and over."

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Michelle Obama

The former first lady of the United States shared a heartfelt note via Twitter describing what Juneteenth means to her. "Even though the story has never been tidy, and Black folks have had to march and fight for every inch of our freedom, our story is nonetheless one of progress," she wrote. "I think of my own family's journey. Both of my grandfathers were the grandchildren of enslaved people. ... And though they didn't live to see it themselves, I can see the smiles on their faces knowing that their great-granddaughters ended up playing ball in the halls of the White House — a magnificent structure built by enslaved Americans."

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Usher

The "Caught Up" singer penned a thoughtful essay for The Washington Post on Friday and argued that Juneteenth should be made a national holiday. "Recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday would be a small gesture compared with the greater social needs of black people in America," he explained. "But it can remind us of our journey toward freedom, and the work America still has to do."

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Tom Hanks

"A Day to celebrate. Nationally. Working towards Liberty and Justice. For All," the You've Got Mail star captioned a celebratory Instagram post. The typewriter collector shared a photo of a typed note, adding that the day symbolizes "when America became a more perfect Union." 

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Taylor Swift

After taking a stand against the presence of Confederate memorials in her home state of Tennessee, the "Bad Blood" singer shared an informative Instagram video about the history of Juneteenth. "Personally, I’ve made the decision to give all of my employees June 19th off in honor of Freedom Day from now on, and to continue to educate myself on the history that brought us to this present moment," she wrote.

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Lizzo

"This year we're doing Juneteenth in a major way," the "Juice" singer said in an Instagram video on Friday. "Not only are we celebrating a black American holiday, but I'm holding a silent auction and a raffle so we can give back to black organizations and businesses, specifically in the Twin Cities."

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Nikki Bella

"Juneteenth. 1865. A day for all of us to learn and remember. 🖤," the Total Bellas star wrote via Instagram. "Thank you @naohms for the informative slides of Juneteenth and it’s importance. 🖤 #blm #juneteenth #freedom." She also reminded her followers that it was OK to not know the full history of the important day, but "better to know now then never know at all."

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Pharrell Williams

In the days leading up to Juneteenth, the Grammy winner spoke at a press conference with Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to rally behind the fight to make it a state holiday. "This is our chance to lead, to truly embrace the importance of Juneteenth and to treat it as a celebration of freedom that Black people truly deserve," he said at the time. On Friday, he appeared on the Today show to go into detail about the historic significance of Freedom Day.

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Amy Schumer

The Trainwreck star, who has been a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement amid recent nationwide protests, shared a photo of raised fists in honor of Freedom Day.

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Idris Elba

"Juneteenth. 🖤❤️. Never say die," the Marvel star tweeted on Friday alongside a photo of himself wearing an inspiring graphic T-shirt. "Take my art, culture, fashion, life, music, science," the shirt read, with the word "life" crossed out.

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Anne Hathaway

Hathaway has used her platform to raise awareness for minority groups and stand in solidarity with activists amid nationwide unrest. On Friday, she shared a video of singer Victory Boyd and her family performing Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" to spread "love and harmony and joy."

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Candace Cameron Bure

The Full House alum posted an educational video on Instagram to give her fans more background about Freedom Day, and noted that she was taking this time to listen, learn and celebrate its history.

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George Takei

"#Juneteenth should be a paid national holiday. Raise your hand if you agree, and pass it along," the actor and activist tweeted on Friday.

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Jenny Slate

The Parks and Recreation alum gave her fans a brief history lesson in the form of an Instagram post on Friday morning. "Juneteenth: The holiday that commemorates the official end of slavery. Despite the Emancipation Proclamation two years prior, Texas was the most remote of the slave states with love union representation and increasing slave population," her post read. "Juneteenth is a symbol of total freedom from slave trade across all states, including Texas."