Juneteenth

What is Juneteenth? June 19th, more commonly known as Juneteenth is the oldest celebrated African American national holiday in America. June 19th celebrated the end of slavery in the United States. This holiday is incredibly important because in a way, it is the second Independence Day in American history as black people were freed from enslavement. It also shows a major step forward in showing that we are recognizing the wrongs of our past, and that we are trying to move forward. For many of the freed, they used their opportunity to go north and experience true freedom and connect with family who they had lost. Celebrating Juneteenth is used as a time to reconnect, getting family together and being part of a community. Decades later it is still celebrated, and there has even been a pilgrimage made out of it to Galveston, Texas.