Independence Day...but for whom?

So I am in the process of writing a really good blog entry about my thesis project on the Black Church, but its a really involved entry and I dont want to mess it up. However, I just thought about independence day since its July 4th (well at least on the east coast and in the flood ravaged midwest). Thinking about independence day and the fact that it ended the fight for the country we live in now, my DuBoisian double consciousness makes me think about the ramifications of Independence Day on Black people. You see 17th Century slavery was essentially breaking in the slaves. It was, in comparison, one of the harshest times for those who were enslaved. Beatings were brutal, rapes were rampant, and families were separated relentlessly in order to further cement the horrible institution. In the 18th century, things were better, but not by so much. So in 1776, there were no distinct difference for those forced into the condition of slavery, when the whole of teh country celebrated its independence. While I understand that it is the day the colonies of the United States becomes independent, there was no immediate benefit to those who were enslaved. So I propose a new Independence day: Juneteenth. A little history, June 19th or juneteenth (as the derivation from the portmanteau of the two words June and 19th), is not the day of the signing of the emancipation proclamation (September 22, 1862) or the day in which it took effect (January 1, 1863). Its not even the day in which the Emancipation Proclamation was ratified into the Constitution as the Thirteenth Amendment (December 18, 1865). Instead, it commemorates the day, June 19, 1865, in which the federal government rode into Texas to enforce the passing of the law, thereby using federal authority to free the slaves. It became the day when the United States government (for not so noble reason, but they did it anyway) used their full military force to free the enslaved African Americans. So why is it not considered a federal holiday like Independence Day? As it stands only 29 states recognize it as a state holiday. Where are the other 21? For a country that is still reeling from the after effects of slavery, the celebration of a holiday like Juneteenth can do wonders for the nation and would be the first in a few steps that hopefully would lead to a federal apology for slavery. I mean, the federal government has already apologized to Native Americans for the way they were (mis-) treated. Why not apologize to African-Americans? If not an apology, lets at least make it a federal holiday and begin repairing the psyche of the United States.