To add to this, Juneteenth is barely even acknowledged by the general U.S. population, the Fourth of July didn’t really change the the daily life of most white people either. It’s so easy for white Americans (though I am one and I acknowledge my place of privilege, and that I am no expert on history or the experience of black Americans) to gloss over the inherent exclusion of black Americans from the 4th of July because, white Americans are the people in power, and therefore their needs and well-being are always put first by society. But the Fourth of July means so much more that cookouts and fireworks and celebrating America. It’s also about the history of America, and unfortunately, the point in history that the holiday celebrates is not that when all Americans were truly free.