Today is a relatively new national holiday in the U.S., created to commemorate Juneteenth. For our non-American readers who may not know: On June 19, 1865, Union troops freed enslaved people in Galveston, Texas — the Westernmost Confederate state at this point — two and a half years after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, and they should rightfully have been released. Joe Biden made it a federal holiday in 2021.
We’ll be return tomorrow (Friday) with regular posting. For today, in lieu of giving you something to read today that we wrote:
- The National Museum of African-American History and Culture has wonderful resources for learning more about Juneteenth, historically and in a more modern cultural context.
- Juneteenth.com covers the celebrations — how, why, and where people do it
- The Dallas Morning News website has a story about Opal Lee, the 98-year old Grandmother of Juneteenth, who is being replaced by her grandchild this year because she’s ill and can’t participate in the annual 2.5 mile walks that represent the 2.5 years it took for these slaves to be freed.
- This piece in The Guardian is called “Juneteenth across the diaspora,” and covers other emancipation celebrations.
- USA Today asked the question this week about whether Trump can end Juneteenth as a national holiday.
- Trump’s toxic anti-DEI rhetoric and actions have apparently caused Juneteenth celebrations to scale back, often due to corporate sponsors being cowards.
- I also think this is interesting: “In Oklahoma, Juneteenth highlights tribal slavery descendants’ fight for recognition and citizenship.”
- Google is very helpful at finding lists of Juneteenth celebrations wherever you might be, and also more local stories like this one from Milwaukee in which residents share what it means to them: “It embodies the resilience and joy of a people who have faced generations of pain and suffering. Reflecting on the challenges endured by Black Americans before and since 1865, and looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, I am reminded that the journey is ongoing.”
