Juneteenth
Juneteenth - What is it and why is it a time for celebration?
Juneteenth is a day of national celebration and commemoration. It is the anniversary of the acknowledgment of the official ending of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865. Not all slaves in the United States knew they were free until Juneteenth, specifically in the South. The day they found out was the first day they were all considered free.
It is now a day of celebration of the freedom since 1865 and a time to share the importance of Juneteenth with others nation and worldwide. A day to acknowledge all Black Americans had to go through to gain their freedom, and the challenges they still face today.
While there is still a long way to go, this is a time of celebration. A time to remember the past, and how it got us here to the present. A time to look at the changes that have been made and the other changes yet to come.
This year is the 158th anniversary of Juneteenth and it is the 4th year of it being an official US federal holiday.