What is Juneteenth, and why is it important? - Karlos K. Hill and Soraya Field Fiorio

Translator: Wieka Barathayomi Reviewer: Azfa A

One day, while hiding in the kitchen,

Suatu hari, saat bersembunyi di dapur,

Charlotte Brooks overheard a life-changing secret.

Charlotte Brooks mendengar rahasia yang mengubah hidupnya.

At the age of 17, she’d been separated from her family

Pada usia 17 tahun, dia terpisah dari keluarganya

and taken to William Neyland’s Texas Plantation.

dan dibawa ke Perkebunan milik William Neyland di Texas.

There, she was made to do housework at the violent whims of her enslavers.

Di sana, dia melakukan pekerjaan rumah.

On that fateful day, she learned that slavery had recently been abolished,

Pada hari itu, dia mendengar bahwa perbudakan baru saja dihapuskan,

but Neyland conspired to keep this a secret from those he enslaved.

tapi Neyland berkonspirasi untuk menyimpan rahasia ini dari para budaknya.

Hearing this, Brooks stepped out of her hiding spot, proclaimed her freedom,

Mendengar ini, Brooks keluar dari tempat sembunyi, menyatakan kebebasannya,

spread the news throughout the plantation, and ran.

menyebarkan berita ke seluruh perkebunan, dan pergi.

That night, she returned for her daughter, Tempie.

Malam itu, dia kembali menjemput putrinya, Tempie.

And before Neyland’s spiteful bullets could find them, they were gone for good.

Sebelum Neyland menemukannya, mereka melarikan diri.

For more than two centuries,

Selama lebih dari dua abad,

slavery defined what would become the United States—

perbudakan melatari Amerika Serikat

from its past as the 13 British colonies to its growth as an independent country.

dari awalnya sebagai 13 koloni Inggris dan menjadi negara merdeka.

Slavery fueled its cotton industry and made it a leading economic power.

Perbudakan menumbuhkan industri kapas dan menjadikannya kekuatan ekonomi utama.

10 of the first 12 presidents enslaved people.

10 dari 12 presiden melakukan perbudakan.

And when US chattel slavery finally ended,

Dan ketika AS menyatakan perbudakan berakhir,

it was a long and uneven process.

itu adalah proses panjang dan sulit.

Enslaved people resisted from the beginning—

Para budak melakukan perlawanan sejak awal

by escaping, breaking tools, staging rebellions, and more.

dengan melarikan diri, merusak alat, melakukan pemberontakan, dll.

During the American Revolution, Vermont and Massachusetts abolished slavery

Selama Revolusi Amerika, Vermont dan Massachusetts menghapus perbudakan

while several states took steps towards gradual abolition.

sementra beberapa negara secara bertahap menghapus perbudakan.

In 1808, federal law banned the import of enslaved African people,

Pada 1808, undang-undang federal melarang impor budak orang Afrika,

but it allowed the slave trade to continue domestically.

tapi mengizinkan perdagangan budak domestik.

Approximately 4 million people were enslaved in the US

Sekitar 4 juta orang diperbudak di AS

when Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860.

ketika Abraham Lincoln terpilih menjadi presiden pada tahun 1860.

Lincoln opposed slavery, and though he had no plans to outlaw it,

Lincoln menentang perbudakan, meskipun tidak berencana untuk melarang,

his election caused panic in Southern states,

kemenangannya membuat kepanikan di negara bagian Selatan,

which began withdrawing from the Union.

yang mulai menarik diri dari Uni.

they vowed to uphold slavery and formed the Confederacy,

mereka ingin mempertahankan perbudakan dan membentuk Konfederasi,

triggering the start of the American Civil War.

memicu dimulainya Perang Saudara Amerika.

A year into the conflict, Lincoln abolished slavery in Washington, D.C.,

Setahun sebelumnya, Lincoln menghapus perbudakan di Washington, D.C.,

legally freeing more than 3,000 people.

secara legal membebaskan lebih dari 3.000 orang.

And five months later, he announced the Emancipation Proclamation.

Lima bulan kemudian, dia mengumumkan Proklamasi Emansipasi.

It promised freedom to the 3.5 million people enslaved in Confederate states.

Menjanjikan kebebasan 3,5 juta orang yang diperbudak di negara Konfederasi.

But it would only be fulfilled if the rebelling states didn’t rejoin the Union

Tapi hanya akan terwujud jika negara yang menolak tidak bergabung dengan Uni

by January 1st, 1863.

pada 1 Januari 1863.

And it bore no mention of the roughly 500,000 people in bondage

Belum termasuk sekitar 500.000 orang budak

in the border states of Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri

di perbatasan negara bagian Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, dan Missouri

that hadn’t seceded.

yang belum memisahkan diri.

When the Confederacy refused to surrender,

Ketika Konfederasi menolak untuk menyerah,

Union soldiers began announcing emancipation.

Tentara serikat mulai mengumumkan emansipasi.

But many Southern areas remained under Confederate control,

Tapi banyak wilayah Selatan tetap di bawah kendali Konfederasi,

making it impossible to actually implement abolition throughout the South.

sehingga tidak mungkin untuk melakukan penghapusan di seluruh wilayah Selatan.

The war raged on for two more years, and on January 31st, 1865,

Perang berkecamuk selama dua tahun, dan pada 31 Januari 1865,

Congress passed the 13th Amendment.

Kongres meloloskan Amandemen ke-13.

It promised to end slavery throughout the US—

Yang berjanji untuk mengakhiri perbudakan di seluruh AS,

except as punishment for a crime.

kecuali sebagai hukuman atas kejahatan.

But to go into effect, 27 states would have to ratify it first.

Agar bisa berlaku, 27 negara bagian harus meratifikasinya terlebih dahulu.

Meanwhile, the Civil War virtually ended with the surrender

Sementara itu, Perang Saudara hampir berakhir dengan bergabungnya

of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on April 9th, 1865.

Jenderal Konfederasi Robert E. Lee pada 9 April 1865.

But although slavery was technically illegal in all Southern states,

Meskipun perbudakan secara teknis ilegal di semua negara bagian Selatan,

it still persisted in the last bastions of the Confederacy.

praktiknya masih bertahan di benteng terakhir Konfederasi.

There, enslavers like Neyland continued to evade abolition until forced.

Pemilik budak seperti Neyland menolak penghapusan perbudakan hingga dipaksa.

This was also the case when Union General Gordon Granger marched his troops

Ini juga terjadi ketika Jenderal Uni Gordon Granger memimpin pasukannya

into Galveston, Texas, on June 19th

ke Galveston, Texas, pada 19 Juni

and announced that all enslaved people there were officially free—

dan mengumumkan bahwa semua budak secara resmi bebas,

and had been for more than two years.

setelah lebih dari dua tahun.

Still, at this point, people remained legally enslaved in the border states.

Tetap saja, perbudakan dianggap legal di negara-negara perbatasan.

It wasn’t until more than five months later, on December 6th, 1865,

Hingga lima bulan kemudian, pada 6 Desember 1865,

that the 13th Amendment was finally ratified.

Amandemen ke-13 akhirnya disahkan.

This formally ended chattel slavery in the US.

Secara resmi mengakhiri perbudakan di Amerika Serikat.

Because official emancipation was a staggered process,

Karena emansipasi resmi adalah proses yang berliku,

people in different places commemorated it on different dates.

warga di berbagai tempat memperingatinya pada tanggal yang berbeda.

Those in Galveston, Texas, began celebrating “Juneteenth”—

Di Galveston, Texas, mulai merayakan “Juneteenth”

a combination of “June” and “nineteenth”—

kombinasi dari “Juni” dan “sembilan belas”

on the very first anniversary of General Granger’s announcement.

pada perayaan pertama pengumuman Jenderal Granger.

Over time, smaller Juneteenth gatherings gave way to large parades.

Seiring waktu, perayaan Juneteenth menjadi semakin meriah.

And the tradition eventually became

Tradisi itu akhirnya menjadi

the most widespread of emancipation celebrations.

perayaan emansipasi yang paling populer.

But, while chattel slavery had officially ended,

Meskipun perbudakan telah resmi berakhir,

racial inequality, oppression, and terror had not.

ketidaksetaraan rasial, penindasan, dan teror belum berakhir.

Celebrating emancipation was itself an act of continued resistance.

Merayakan emansipasi adalah tindakan perlawanan terus menerus.

And it wasn't until 2021 that Juneteenth became a federal holiday.

Dan baru pada tahun 2021, Juneteenth menjadi hari libur federal.

Today, Juneteenth holds profound significance as a celebration

Kini, Juneteenth adalah perayaan penting

of the demise of slavery, the righteous pursuit of true freedom for all,

dari berakhirnya perbudakan, kebebasan sejati untuk semua,

and a continued pledge to remember the past and dream the future.

masa lalu yang perlu diingat dan masa depan yang diimpikan.