A Historic Juneteenth

By Bekah Sandy

On June 19th in 1865 — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation and two months after the Civil War’s end — the last enslaved Black people in America finally received the news that they had been declared free. The ensuing celebration of their independence spurred a tradition of commemorating slavery’s end. This annual jubilation came to be known as Juneteenth, and this week it joined the ranks of official federal holidays.

The importance of recognizing the horrors inflicted upon the ancestors of our fellow Americans is especially stark as our nation continues to reckon with the ways systemic racism has infiltrated our society, including the arts. As we reflect on its intersection with the world of classical music, we note that it was just a year ago that we celebrated the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. One of the most celebrated musicians of all time, the German composer died in 1827 — merely 35 years before President Abraham Lincoln signed the executive order that would eventually end the slave trade.

Classical music did not exist separately from or solely before these historic happenings. Rather, it was created, performed and experienced alongside them. And while individuals like Beethoven were revered for expressing their feelings and observations through music, others were excluded, unsupported or discouraged in their efforts to tell stories in the same manner, effectively preventing their experiences from being reflected in the classical music canon.

They raised their voices anyway, creating musical testaments to resilience and survival. As we seek to reform the systems that have attempted to silence Black voices and experiences, we are reminded that the first line of defense in undoing this erasure of Black contributions is listening — to the work itself, to the stories of those behind it, to the genius on display, and to the messages being conveyed.

In honor of this historic Juneteenth, as we recognize the holiday for the first time as an entire nation, we seek to hear the voices that persisted. We turn to William Grant Still, who wrote “Afro-American Symphony,” one of the most popular American symphonies of all time. We celebrate Florence Price, one of the first Black American composers — and certainly the first Black woman — to garner national attention. We rejoice in the compositions of Joseph Boulogne, a virtuoso violinist who performed at King Louis’ court after being separated from his enslaved mother. We take in the songs of George Walker, the first Black American to win a Pulitzer Prize for Music.

We invite you to listen and share with us, all while acknowledging that this is only a small step toward creating a musical community where these works are heard more than they are mentioned.