Why calling 19 July ‘Freedom Day’ could be seen as an appropriation of Black trauma

The phrase equates lockdown restrictions to the struggles of Black people throughout history, activist Nova Reid says

Boris Johnson (AFP via Getty Images)

As of Monday, nightclubs have the green light to open, limits on social distancing, such as how many friends you can meet with, have been lifted, and there is no longer a legal requirement to wear masks in public spaces – although companies like Transport for London, Sainsbury’s and Waterstones have asked their customers to continue wearing them.

The highly-anticipated 19 July date has commonly been referred to as “Freedom Day”. The use of the term first came about shortly after Boris Johnson laid out his four-step roadmap for easing England out of lockdown in February. He described his plan as a roadmap towards “reclaiming our freedoms”, as a “one way road to freedom” and the “best way to restore freedoms”.

Since then, many - in particular many anti-lockdown campaigners - have referred to the new re-opening date as Freedom Day. The term has been criticised as insensitive, when lockdown restrictions were put in place in order to protect the NHS and save lives, in a pandemic that has so far killed 128,708 people in the United Kingdom alone.

However, as pointed out by the author of The Good Ally, Nova Reid, the term “Freedom Day” is problematic for another reason - due to its starkly different origin and meaning.

Many users have since commented and thanked Reid for raising awareness of the issue, with some writing that they had been unaware of its meaning.

Here’s where the term “Freedom Day” comes from and why using it can cause offence.

What is the origin and meaning of the phrase ‘Freedom Day’?

In American history, Freedom Day was first observed on 1 February 1865, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the 13^th Amendment, formally abolishing slavery. However, this was not ratified across all US states until later that year.

For this reason, the US recognises Juneteenth as the national ‘Freedom Day’. It observes the anniversary of 19 June 1865, when the US army proclaimed freedom for slaves in Texas, the last state to abolish slavery.

The phrase also holds significance in South Africa, where ‘Freedom Day’ takes place on 27 April to commemorate the first elections after the end of the apartheid.

Apartheid was a system of institutionalised racial segregation which ranked the country’s population by skin colour. White members of the public had the highest status, followed by Asians and then Black African people. It started in 1948 and went on until 1994.

Under South Africa’s apartheid regime, Black people had to carry identification papers at all times, and their movement was restricted to certain areas. They were also forcibly removed from their homes in rural areas when the government redesignated the land as “white” and sold it at a lower price to white farmers.

The 1994 elections were the first where anyone of voting age, from any race, was allowed to vote. Under apartheid, Black South Africans had no voting rights.

Why is using ‘Freedom Day’ to describe 19 July offensive?

As Reid explained in her post, using the term “Freedom Day” may cause offence to Black people as it suggests that the social restrictions brought in during the pandemic amount to the trauma Black people suffered throughout history.

“It implies that we have been oppressed and that our basic human rights have been stripped from us, and I think there is a small minority of people who genuinely believe that is the case but it isn’t,” Reid told The Independent.

“It’s especially offensive when you think about the people who were actually enslaved, and were given their freedom for the first time, and finally knew how it felt to not be the property of another human being” she adds.

While she sympathised that the pandemic has been “incredibly difficult for most”, has “taken a toll on wellbeing”, and that many people have lost their loved ones, Reid said the use of the term “Freedom Day” is “utterly abhorrent and poor taste”.

“Appropriation is one thing, but appropriating Black trauma is a whole other level of [white] supremacy that I can’t get my head around,” Reid said.

How do other people feel about the phrase?

Reid’s post has received more than 1,000 likes so far, with many users both thanking her for educating them on why the phrase is offensive and sharing their views.

One user, who grew up in South Africa, said the phrase had also made them uncomfortable.

“100 per cent this, I was born in and grew up in South Africa and I only associate Freedom Day with my vote against apartheid. I absolutely cannot abide by this government. [White] supremacy at its prime appropriating black trauma,” they said.

Another said they had already felt uncomfortable with the use of the term “Freedom Day” given the devastating impact of the virus on people’s health and families.

“I didn’t know about the historical origins but already felt uncomfortable with the terminology given the infection situation and it’s impact on vulnerable people,” they said.

A third person wrote: “Thank you for teaching us this Nova. I hadn’t made this connection at all - always learning. It’s the insidious racism and erasure in action that you teach us about. It felt uncomfortable anyway but now with this context it’s abhorrent.”