On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which freed more than three million enslaved people in the United States, mostly in the Confederate states. It took another two and a half years and the surrender of the Confederate army before it became a reality for the enslaved people in Texas. On June 19th, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, TX, secured the state and informed them that they were free. June 19th has come to symbolize a day of freedom and unity. It is a day to reflect on our past with honesty and hope for tomorrow. ...
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The observance of Juneteenth is recognition of a profound milestone in our nation’s history. And while our struggles for equality in the United States have been long and difficult and sometimes fraught with setbacks and terrible loss, today we reflect on how far we, as Americans, have come in this journey. There is still much more to do my brothers and sisters, but I am heartened by what we have accomplished and the outpouring of support and activism we have seen this past year from coast to coast, from black, brown and white, demanding that our nation finally make good ...
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A culture of belonging and caring for each other starts with each one of us. In honor of Juneteenth, on Friday, June 18, we are inviting you to acknowledge and celebrate an important moment in U.S. history. Juneteenth is a date of major significance in American history and recognized as a moment of celebration in the African American community. The Emancipation Proclamation, which changed African American’s status from enslaved to free, was issued on Jan. 1, 1863. However, many people remained enslaved until June 19, 1865. Juneteenth has since become a celebration of freedom. Information about Juneteenth will be posted ...
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Juneteenth is an annual celebration on June 19 marking the end of slavery in the United States. Though the Emancipation Proclamation took effect in 1863, freedom would not come for many enslaved African Americans until years later. On June 19th, 1865, Union soldiers brought news of the Civil War’s end to Galveston bringing with them freedom for the 250,000 people enslaved in Texas. Juneteenth was made an official U.S. federal holiday yesterday. Each year, Americans across the country use Juneteenth as an opportunity to reflect on our nation’s shameful history of slavery and to celebrate its end and the renewed ...
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Vice President Gerald Kariem For Gerald Kariem, Juneteenth feels even more special in Detroit. So many successful Black Americans today are descendants of the millions of men and women who left the south for work in the north starting back in 1916 to build Ford cars. “That caused us to be able to have a place in society,” said Kariem, who started on the assembly line at age 20 and is the son of a foundry worker. “It wasn’t just a job for financial reasons but it was a job that gave you a sense of being somebody.” Read more on www.freep.com >>>
Today, we take time to honor the memory of our lost brother, George Floyd. We will sit still, we will put down our tools and silence our phones for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. A full eight minutes and 46 seconds — the agonizing amount of time that Mr. Floyd lay on the pavement begging for his life. In the days since his horrific death, this country has seen demonstrations from coast to coast and demands from all of its citizens — black, brown and white — to finally take systemic racism in this country head on and MAKE IT STOP. ...
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