Today is June 19th, 2020, AKA Juneteenth. On this day back in 1865, federal orders were delivered to Galveston, Texas announcing that all of the slaves in Texas were free. The Emancipation Proclamation, signed in 1863, made them all free but it took almost three years for the news to reach Texas. Celebration of this date started as early as 1866, the following year.

It's amazing that this wasn't common knowledge during the time I was in school. I first heard of Juneteenth during college, via Facebook at that! In the last few years, this holiday has been garnering more attention on a national scale and people have been more vocal about celebrating this holiday in their personal lives, while also advocating that it become a national holiday.

Cookouts and reunions may not be the medium through which this holiday is celebrated in light of COVID-19, but their are various ways to honor this day. From June 16th-20th, Black authors have been promoting Black Publishing Power, a movement to push readers to purchase books written by Black authors. Another way to celebrate Juneteenth is to purchase music created by Black artists. A few artists have released music today, a tradition I hope continues for years to come, and there are countless Black creatives you can support with your money and time.

As you go through your day, be sure to support your favorite Black creative or discover one you were unfamiliar with. Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope you enjoy your day and celebrate the freedoms you have and fight for the freedom of future generations.


Equilibrium