COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS: JUNETEENTH
CHRISTINA KANU
- Juneteenth is not a celebration of the day Black people were freed from slavery, it's a commemoration of the day the last enslaved population of Galveston, TX found out they had been emancipated.
- The Emancipation Proclamation was enacted by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, freeing all enslaved people in the Confederate States if they could make it to Union Army lines. However, word of emancipation had not reached as far as Texas because of minimal Union Army presence.
- Nearly 4 million Black people were emancipated at the end of the Civil War in May of 1865, most of whom had parents and grandparents who were born enslaved in the United States.
"SO, AS LANGSTON HUGHES ONCE SAID, ‘WE, TOO, SING AMERICA’ BECAUSE WE BUILT IT.”
CHRISTINA KANU
- Juneteenth is typically observed by partaking in history lessons, festivals, and parties to celebrate those in Galveston, TX who were the last to know they had been freed and the ongoing fight for Black freedom in America.
-
Black Lives Matter: This Juneteenth is an opportunity for all people to reflect on Black people's contributions to American and world cultures.
SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO TO TAKE ACTION
- Stand up against racial injustice.
- Donate to a cause dedicated to uplifting the Black community.
- Supporting Black-owned businesses
SOME THINGS YOU CAN READ TO EDUCATE YOURSELF
- What is Juneteenth by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
