June 9, 2022
New survey reveals Americans’ lack of familiarity and appreciation for Juneteenth, but also strong support for teaching history & resisting calls for book bans
June 9, 2022 – A new survey released by More in Common shows average levels of warmth and low personal significance attributed to Juneteenth, the U.S.’s newest federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery, despite a desire among Americans to learn about and teach racial history. These findings are part of detailed opinion research that surveyed Americans on issues of national identity.
Data showed that just 34 percent of Americans feel that Juneteenth is significant to them personally, far lower than the significance associated with Thanksgiving, Veterans Day, Memorial Day and July 4. By comparison, 72 percent of Black Americans rate Juneteenth as important, and Democrats and younger Americans expressed high levels of warmth too. Republicans and older Americans, in contrast, expressed lower warmth toward the holiday.
The same survey also found that 77 percent of Americans say the country feels divided, while 76 percent said American identity is important to them.
“Juneteenth is an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate American identity, but more needs to be done to elevate the meaning of June 19 and discuss how we commemorate the significance of that date,” said Dan Vallone, Executive Director of More in Common U.S. “That date isn’t just significant in Black history, but in American history too. It represents how far we have come as a nation – and where we have fallen short.”
The national survey of U.S. adults is part of More in Common’s American Identity Research Project, which sets out to understand divisions and identify areas around which the country can come together.
The survey uncovered a desire among Americans to teach students about race and racism in America. On average, 71 percent of Americans agree that it’s important to teach about the history of racism. The same percentage also agree that “books with content that may offend people should not be removed from schools or libraries,” despite efforts in some communities to restrict students’ access to certain titles.
“It’s a positive sign that, despite what we see in our daily political discourse and the divisions many perceive, most Americans acknowledge the importance of learning each other’s history,” said Vallone. “We are not as divided as we think. It’s just that we sometimes are unsure how to discuss our racial history, acknowledge our shortcomings and celebrate our common identity. Juneteenth should be a day we can do all three.”
Dan Vallone, a veteran who served in Afghanistan, is the U.S. director of More in Common, and the co-leader of the Veterans and Citizens Initiative. He is available for interviews. Clips of previous TV/print interviews and his bio can be found here, and his headshot can be found here.
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About More in Common U.S.
More in Common U.S. is a non-partisan research and civic non-profit that studies the forces pulling America apart, seeking to disrupt polarization and forge a stronger sense of what Americans have in common. This survey is the first of three that will be fielded in 2022 to explore associations with American identity, figures and events in American history, connections to national holidays, aspirations for our shared future, and more.