What’s Juneteenth?
June 19th, a day to celebrate freedom and basic rights as a Black person in North America.
A lot of people feel – there’s Black History Month, what’s this day about. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the US, but the journey to get there was long and Millions of Africans were forcibly taken from their homes and brought to the US as slaves, facing inhumane conditions and brutal treatment.
A lot of people feel – there’s Black History Month, what’s this day about. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the US, but the journey to get there was long and Millions of Africans were forcibly taken from their homes and brought to the US as slaves, facing inhumane conditions and brutal treatment.
Activists fought tirelessly for the end of slavery, facing opposition and violence along the way. The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared freedom for enslaved people in Confederate states. However, it wasn’t enforced in many areas, until Union troops arrived.
June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the freedom of enslaved people, marking the end of the Civil War. June 19, 1865, is now celebrated as Juneteenth
After centuries of slavery, African Americans were finally free. But the struggle for equality and justice continued. We celebrate Juneteenth to honor the struggles of our ancestors and continue the fight for a more equitable society.
Sophie