Juneteenth

The holiday known as Juneteenth, so called because it is celebrated annually on June 19, is the oldest commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. Recognized as Emancipation Day among African Americans, it marks the anniversary of the official freeing of slaves in Texas on June 19, 1865, in Galveston. Just as the Fourth of July celebrates liberty for all American people, for descendants of former slaves, Juneteenth symbolizes the attainment of freedom. Honoring the legacy of struggle and perseverance on the part of African Americans throughout their enslavement, Juneteenth also serves as a day of reflection on African American progress. - Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World,

‘We must learn from our history,’ says VP Kamala Harris as Juneteenth becomes national holiday

The significance of Juneteenth, America's first new federal holiday in decades

Henry Louis Gates Jr. told CBS News that marking Juneteenth as a federal holiday was a long time coming.

Education for Black Americans didn’t come easy. Because Black Americans were held back from freedom during slavery, it also held them back from education, and to this day, the Black community is still feeling the ramifications. Due to the lack of resources, finances and a multitude of other external factors, many Black Americans don’t have the opportunity to take advantage of a higher education. For example, only 35% of Black Americans have associate degrees or higher, and Black student enrollment has also declined over the last 10 years, according to a Lumina Foundation-Gallup 2023 State of Higher Education study. Over the years, many Black Americans, and people of other races, have decided to follow in their ancestors’ footsteps and attend an HBCU, which has provided the campuses with exposure. To know an HBCU is to know homecomings, marching bands, step shows, and more importantly – culture. To celebrate HBCUs and the history of Black education, we have to take a look back at how it all got started, which for some, could be a hard story to digest. -  KHOU 11, Houston, TX. 2023.

Opal Lee, known in Fort Worth as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth", is a 94-year-old trailblazer on a mission to generate greater recognition for Juneteenth across the United States. Opal has dedicated her life to educating others about the history of Juneteenth, while also encouraging them to celebrate this historic holiday each year. The Emancipation Proclamation outlawed slavery on September 22, 1862, but slaves in Texas did not know that they had been freed. So, Juneteenth was first celebrated on June 19th, 1865, when General Gordon Granger and 7,000 black troops journeyed to tell 250,000 black enslaved people in Galveston, TX that they were free. Opal Lee leads a 2.5-mile march from Downtown Fort Worth, TX to signify the remaining length of time that these slaves in Texas were left in bondage. Today, Juneteenth symbolizes freedom, and it is a call to action for unity. Therefore, Opal Lee is currently advocating for Juneteenth’s consideration as a paid federal holiday! Learn more about this historic day, and how Opal Lee encourages others to work together to eradicate the racial disparity experienced in this country.

"None of us are free until we are all free, and freedom is what we still have to work towards." - Opal Lee