shared by the author, @/taylorcrumpton
"A constant among all Juneteenth celebrations, whether big or small, urban or rural, was the attire. Afro-Texans and their descendants not only celebrated with song, dance, food, but also through fashion. Prior to Juneteenth, clothing was dictated by the slave codes and social norms of the time. Yet, even in that period of enslavement, they would adorn the clothes of their owners and throw parties in their absence. Post enslavement, dress was a way to recontextualize and reconstruct their image and their identity. No longer were they the enslaved, but an Afro-Texan, an African-American."