What is juneteenth?

​Juneteenth is a holiday celebrating the liberation of enslaved people in the United States. Lincoln proclaimed the emancipation of enslaved people, effective Jan. 1, 1863, however en-slavers were responsible for telling them that they were free, and some ignored the order for up to two and a half years. Union troops were called upon to enforce it and General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, to inform the last of the slaves that the Civil War had ended and they were free. What followed was a mix of shock and jubilation that resonated so much so that they began celebrating June 19 the very next year in the same town square, and named it combining June and 19th.  Today, while not a national holiday, it is observed in the majority of American states by members of the black community.
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This is only a short synopsis that does not fully encompass the whole story and we encourage you to visit the resources below to learn more about Juneteenth. 

"Recounting the memories of that great day in June of 1865 and its festivities would serve as motivation as well as a release from the growing pressures encountered in their new territories."
https://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm


"We should care because the very fabric of our society depends on our shared religion of inalienable rights. A celebration of freedom for any American is a celebration of the ideals that make our country what it is today."
https://time.com/4373253/juneteenth-2016/


"The announcement actually urged Freedmen and Freedwomen to stay with their former owners"
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/06/juneteenth-has-always-been-worthy-celebration/613270/


Black Joy - Not Corporate Acknowledgement - is the heart of Juneteeth
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/501680/12-things-you-might-not-know-about-juneteenth


The Juneteenth Broadcast: The #HUNGERFORJUSTICE Series​
http://www.agrowingculture.org/hfj/