Happy Juneteenth my melaninated friends 👸🏾
For those of you that may be a little fuzzy on what Juneteenth is, in a nutshell, its the day we (African Americans anyways) celebrate the remaining slaves getting word of their freedom. It’s like 4th of July for Black people.
What’s crazy is I didn’t learn ANYTHING about Juneteenth in grade school, it’s something I’ve literally had to google. Which isn’t a shock, but it’s still a damn shame.
Anywhoots! If you want to learn more about Juneteenth, keep reading! By the end of this blog post you should have a pretty good understanding of what's going on here:
What is Juneteenth:
Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, is an American holiday that commemorates the June 19, 1865, announcement of the abolition of slavery in the U.S. state of Texas, and more generally the emancipation of enslaved African Americans throughout the former Confederate States of America. - Wiki
How many slaves were in the US?
In 1860 there were an estimated 3,953,760 slaves in the United States. CNN
Do all states celebrate Juneteenth?
There are only four states that don't recognize Juneteenth as a holiday: Hawaii, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana.
Did the Emancipation Proclamation free the slaves?
The Emancipation Proclamation, or Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. It changed the federal legal status of more than 3.5 million enslaved African Americans in the designated areas of the South from slave to freedom.
Hopefully, you now know a little more about Juneteenth and why it's such a big day for me and my people. However, I want to note that there is still a lot of work to be done. Yes, we are in a better place than we were back in 1860, but with documentaries like When They See Us, plus situations like Philando Castile, and Trayvon Martin it's VERY clear we still have racism in America.
Share this post with anyone that has questions about Juneteenth!
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