| Juneteenth Employees at Twitter, Square, the NFL, and smaller companies around the country, had this Friday off as a corporate holiday to recognize Juneteenth. And President Trump's rally in Tulsa, OK, was moved from June 19th to the 20th after backlash on the original plan. For many, these corporate and political announcements and ensuing conversation are their first introduction to Juneteenth, a holiday that dates back to 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, TX, were finally told they were free-more than two years after Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. It was not a day when everyone was freed. Slavery wasn't made illegal in all states until the 13th Amendment was ratified in December 1865. But June 19 was the day the news made it to the last of the Confederate states, and this is a day many choose to celebrate freedom. As many hope the country has reached a tipping point in the fight for racial justice, will this be the turning point in the country where school curriculum includes the holiday? Juneteenth is recognized in all but three states as a state holiday or day of observance. The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation's goal is to have the day declared a national holiday. There is a change.org petition toward that goal. Learn more and check out these titles |
