Today is Juneteenth, a day recognized as the most popular celebration of the emancipation of slavery in the United States.  Despite the abolition of slavery years sooner, it wasn’t until the day that came to mark Juneteenth, June 19, 1865, that the military came to Texas to enforce the end of slavery.  It’s been said that it was not until Juneteenth, two years after they’d been freed by federal law, that the enslaved were made aware of their freedom.  Rep. Al Edwards, who first made Juneteenth an official state holiday in Texas in 1979 said this: “Every year we must remind successive generations that this event triggered a series of events that one by one defines the challenges and responsibilities of successive generations. That’s why we need this holiday.”  Juneteenth is a day, a week, or in some places a month, to reflect and rejoice, a time for assessment and self-improvement.

So Happy Juneteenth to you all, and to all the non-black allies who wish to participate in any of today’s 90+ events, it’s important to respect today as a celebration of our black communities and to maintain this thoughtfulness as you move through your day.  All of the events listed below are black led events and you can find out more about each of them by swiping through the flyers on the @justiceforgeorgenyc instagram page.

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