Juneteenth: A Soft Pause with a Loud Purpose  

By Attiyya Atkins 

I’m writing this from Chicago, where I decided to take a break for Juneteenth. 

Not for the parties. Not for the people. But for the soft, radical act of rest. 

I’ve been sleeping in. Drinking on rooftops. Looking out over the city, reflecting. I’m reclaiming what softness means for a Black woman like me: freedom, femininity, stillness. The power to just be. Because rest, too, is resistance. And Juneteenth reminds us how sacred it is to have that choice. 

On June 19, 1865, our ancestors in Galveston, Texas finally heard what should’ve been declared two years earlier—that they were free. That day, delayed as it was, became a symbol of truth-telling and triumph. A reminder that even when systems stall our liberation, the truth has a way of breaking through. 

But Juneteenth isn’t just about the past. It’s a mirror, showing us how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go. 

We’re still in a world that tries to rush us, wear us down, and profit from our exhaustion. And yet—we are still here. Building, loving, creating. Resting. 

So while I sip this cocktail and soak up a slow moment under the Chicago skyline, I’m not disconnecting—I’m recharging. Because we still have work to do. We still need each other. We still need to unite for the fight. 

This Juneteenth, I encourage all of us to remember where we come from—freedom delayed but never denied—and to boldly imagine where we’re going. Take time. Be soft. Let your joy be loud. Let your presence be powerful. 

And when you’re ready, come back to the table. We’ve got movements to build. 

Happy Juneteenth, Stay soft. Stay powerful.