Decoration Day

As I read through the Heritage and Memory chapter of Remembering Jim Crow, I was especially interested in the authors’ discussion of the importance of oral tradition in African American communities. Even then, black people were well aware of how vital the continuation of their oral tradition was in preserving their heritage, identity, and status as Americans. History books would certainly not acknowledge or even remember their past and the contributions they made to the foundation and prosperity of our country.  

When the author mentioned the once highly celebrated Decoration Day on page 58, I initially thought it was a now lost African American holiday that had been annihilated by decades of disregard for the culture and traditions of blacks in America. Decoration Day, however, is not a lost holiday; it is actually recognized today by the federal government as Memorial Day. The most notable difference between Decoration Day and Memorial Day is the focus of the original holiday on soldiers and sailors (particularly African Americans) who fought in the Union Army. The authors of Remembering Jim Crow state that “On these days of remembrance, African American service to the Union cause, and by extension, their struggle for liberation, was celebrated and honored as proof that black people had earned their freedom and citizenship”. The first Memorial Day celebration was in fact held in Charleston, South Carolina by the freed slaves following the conclusion of the civil war. They partook in a massive parade to honor those Union Soldiers who had died fighting a war to abolish slavery and bring liberty to the Confederacy. This theme, however, seems completely removed from today’s Memorial Day. Although it is of course vital to honor and remember all of the soldiers who have fought for the values of American society in the many wars throughout our county’s history, it seems that the initial men Decoration Day was created to honor have been forgotten all together. Throughout my life I remember Memorial Day services dedicated to the soldiers of our current war, World War II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, even the Revolutionary War. The Civil War, however, seems to constantly evade recognition. More importantly, the African American soldiers initially remembered are never mentioned. Why has this aspect of the holiday and our history been lost?

            At the start of the semester we discussed the question “Why African American history?” as a class. One of the most common answers was because we felt it was a part of our country’s history that is often abbreviated in classes and textbooks. The majority of us agreed that we had definitely received the abridged version of African American history thus far in our educations. As the semester continues, we become more and more aware of just how true this is and more aware of how much African American history is missing from today's culture in general (like in the case of Memorial Day). I think it is essential that we reverse this pattern and begin to teach all aspects of our history instead of disregarding anything “uncomfortable”. One way to start may be by recognizing the original meaning of Decoration Day and spreading the word of its origins during next year’s Memorial Day celebrations.

This is a great (and short) article by David Blight, a History Professor at Yale University, about the first Decoration Day Celebration:  http://www.davidwblight.com/memorial.htm