Wanda Sykes Shares Powerful Blackish Juneteenth Clip That Still Hits Hard

Instagram/@iamwandasykes

After the Blackish Juneteenth episode aired, it was forever etched in the mind of the actors and producers. Wanda Sykes reposted this musical rendition from the ABC sitcom because it shared a bit of history of the holiday in an educational yet painfully related manner.

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In the days following the show’s first intro into the scene, it was a satirical song clip explaining how enslaved people in Texas were not really freed until June 19, 1865- two years after the actual Emancipation Proclamation. The logic was that plantation owners wanted “one more” harvest season of free labor. The whole scene is just relentless in trying to balance dark humor with difficult truths from America’s past.

This says a lot about the impact this episode created among viewers, according to responses to Sykes’ post. “This is where I learned Juneteenth was even a thing,” claimed one viewer, blaming schools for not teaching that crucial history. Another placed it as “the ignition for the federal holiday we have today,” insinuating that this episode from 2017 played a prominent role in raising awareness of Juneteenth between then and its designation as a national holiday.

The dulcet tones of a defiant voice broke through the jubilation: “black folks get a government holiday when they got freed [but] Lincoln still killed native people.” And that ended the discussion with not a single response… What would anyone say to that? On the other hand, another user put us in mind that “Confederate slave owners were given reparations for losing their slaves,” evoking a “That Part” from another commenter.

What really makes this scene so impactful is that it forces the audience into discomfort. One person articulated it perfectly: “You’re meant to sit with being ‘uncomfortable’. That’s how the ‘work’ begins!” The musical going-on goes a long way towards softening this leering face of history but makes sure it’s hitting you full force.

Nearly five years have gone by since the airing of this episode, and yet here we are: a great number of people still crediting the episode for their first serious education about Juneteenth. It makes one wonder about how many other huge holes in our shared historical knowledge could be brushed over with one really good sitcom episode. The comments show that sometimes entertainment teaches what schools don’t, even if it is packaged in catchy musical numbers about slavery.

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Blackish, for the most part, used to ride between comedy and social commentary with a little more ease than most of the network shows. This particular Juneteenth episode just may be their magnum opus-a history lesson wrapped in satire that somehow makes you laugh, cringe, and learn all at the same time. It is no wonder Wanda Sykes is keeping the rooftops screaming about it and going on years later. Some messages just never get old-even when they’re being sung along to as one of America’s oldest sins.