Juneteenth commemorates the June 19, 1865 arrival of Union troops in Galveston, Texas—over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation—who brought with them official news of the end of slavery in the United States. Long a day of celebration of Black life and family in America, Juneteenth was finally recognized as a national holiday in 2021, centering the history of Black Americans. For too long this country has told an incomplete story of itself, basking in Abraham Lincoln’s high words while ignoring the systemic injustices upon which white America has prospered, and which have yet to be redressed. Read on below for that history... and much, much more. |
