Juneteenth

I've seen a lot of conservatives already on social media talking negatively about tomorrow's U.S. Federal Holiday, Juneteenth. In honor of the holiday, I figured I'd post a quick blog about why it's not only important, but necessary based on America's history for people who might not be super familiar with it. Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas were finally told that they were free. This was more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, the act that declared enslaved people in Confederate states were now free. Juneteenth represents not only the enforcement of emancipation in the U.S., but also the systemic levels of racism this country experienced, and still experiences to this day. It's important because it honors the end of slavery, celebrates Black freedom and resilience, and reminds the country that justice and equality are still major issues this country faces.