A Moment of Reflection on Juneteenth

America is celebrating Juneteenth, also known as "Freedom Day," for the 2nd year since President Joe Biden officially designated June 19 as the federal holiday in 2021. While many African American communities celebrated Juneteenth years before legislative recognition, officially adding it to the national holiday calendar will hopefully encourage other communities, companies, and corporations to acknowledge the history and resilience of African Americans in the United States.

Throughout history African Americans have suffered a great deal in this country and the long-term effects of that suffering has seeped into our society years later. On Juneteenth, we celebrate the end of slavery  but we also reflect on how far African Americans have come and how much more work should be done to ensure equality and equity.

Juneteenth is a day that celebrates the independence of African Americans in a country that held them captive for more than 400 years. It signifies the true day of freedom from enslavement, undermining Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation that went into effect two years before a remaining 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were freed. While Lincoln's legislation freed some, no one was truly free until all were free. 

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