This Thursday on CBS Mornings, the show highlighted a segment about the celebration of Juneteenth, a recently recognized federal holiday that observed the final emancipation of slaves in the United States was enforced in Texas, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. While it has been celebrated in black culture for decades, it recently picked up attention in mainstream culture and media due to the day being memorialized in legislation signed by former President Joe Biden in 2021.
While undoubtedly the ending of slavery in the United States was a victory for freedom, the segment on CBS quickly unraveled from logical conversation into the argument that white people should celebrate the holiday by pushing for reparations.
The panel consisted of hosts Gayle King, Nate Burleson, Tony Dokoupil, and Professor and writer Kellie Carter Jackson to discuss celebrating the holiday. The conversation started normal enough, with Jackson recounting different historical traditions of the holiday and explaining how she involved her children in understanding slavery in an age-appropriate way.
That is, until King asked how white people should observe the holiday. Among her answers, many of which seemed reasonable– like researching the history of slavery in the U.S. – stood out a questionable but familiar far-left talking point:
We all need to participate. And I think this is a day where white people need to do work. It’s a day where they can support black businesses, they can support black authors, they can study the history of slavery, they can get as much information as possible. But then not just sit on that information, act on it. So can you help register people to vote, can you push for reparations, can you get involved in your community?
Reparations. White people can “push for reparations” to help celebrate the holiday. Which includes, but is not limited to, financial support from the federal government to allegedly correct the wrongs of slavery.
Last summer, Jackson also appeared on CBS Mornings to promote her book We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance, which praised political violence as the ideal way to get results for her agenda, and also suggested that white people have not experienced the same violent crimes as African-Americans have, such as shootings.
In fact, in 2021, she wrote an article for The Atlantic in which she snubbed her nose at the federal recognition of the holiday, huffing that the only reason Joe Biden signed-off on recognizing Juneteenth was to cover-up the “enduring legacy of slavery”. She claimed that it is “impossible to celebrate Juneteenth and simultaneously deny the teachings of America’s foundational legacy,” baselessly arguing that the history of slavery wasn't being taught in American schools.
For Jackson, it seemed like the holiday was less about celebrating the emancipation of slaves, something that should unite all Americans together in a triumph over racial evils, but more about continuing to divide America on race, touting "us versus them" rhetoric, and promoting racial divides.
The entire transcript is below. Click "expand" to read.
CBS Mornings
June 19, 2025
8:41:56 AM ESTTONY DOKOUPIL: How do you think families should talk about it?
KELLIE CARTER JACKSON: Oh, I have three kids, so we talk about Juneteenth every year. We celebrate Juneteenth, I take my kids to parades and festivals, there's always a panel discussion, one year I got my kids coloring books, and we, like, colored historical characters. But, for me it's important that my children know about the history of slavery, what their ancestors survived, what they endured, at a age-appropriate level, but we talk about this as a day of both dreams and delays because they waited two years to get freedom. But also, delight because freedom is a wonderful thing.
GAYLE KING: What about someone who isn't black?
JACKSON: Oh, yes.
KING: How should they celebrate? Should they celebrate? –
JACKSON: – They should.
KING: I mean, there’s a lot of division in this country–
JACKSON: Yes–
KING: – About these kind of holidays, especially now.
NATE BURLESON: That’s a good question.
JACKSON: Slavery is a national sin.
KING: What is a national sin?
JACKSON: Slavery is a national sin.
KING: Oh, okay.
JACKSON: So, we all need to participate. And I think this is a day where white people need to do work. I think it’s a day where they can support black businesses, they can support black authors, they can study the history of slavery, they can get as much information as possible. But then not just sit on that information, act on it. So can you help register people to vote, can you push for reparations, can you get involved in your community? I think–
BURLESON: Enter conversations and have dialogue–
JACKSON: Yes! Absolutely.
(...)
