On June 19, 1865, Union Army General Gordon Granger stood on a balcony in Galveston, Texas and read aloud General Order No. 3, informing the state’s enslaved people that President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation meant they were free. In the years since, Juneteenth has become an opportunity to remember all those who lived and died under the horrific system of slavery, honor everyone who helped end it, and celebrate the people and contributions of the African American community. It’s more important than ever before that we all take some time to mark Juneteenth and reflect on the legacy of slavery in our country’s history. We see markers of white supremacy around us every day. It’s marching in our streets with torches and signs bearing hate speech, detaining innocent families in camps at the border, and enshrining prejudice in our laws by suppressing the votes of people of color. It’s saying that it’ll make America great again; great again for whom has always been clear from the context. So many Americans believe in racial justice, in equality, in our differences not just making us stronger but defining what it means to be American. Let’s celebrate our victories and our black communities as we keep working for a more perfect union. Happy Juneteenth.
im always like hehe im so smart i will avoid shame by never doing anything ever but then i feel ashamed of not living and it turns out i didn’t escape any sort of discomfort i just traded it in for a less rewarding kind
But now that you know that, you can change. Doesn’t have to be today, or tomorrow, or even a year from now, but until you’re six feet under it’s never too late to live your life the way you want to
