Today we celebrate the new National holiday, Juneteenth. On this day 156 years ago -- more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law -- the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were finally free. Black Americans have celebrated their independence on this day since 1865,
Emancipation Day.
This year, it takes on a magnified meaning, as our government has made Juneteenth a national holiday going forward.
It is a pivotal time in American history. We are living in a critical time where our past race relations, behaviors, and attitudes are being called into check and reevaluated.
It's a time of celebration but also a time of reflection and healing. We can use this day to reflect on all the changes we still need to make to create a more fair, just, and equal society.
June is also Pride Month, celebrated each year to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. Stonewall was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is the recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and nonbinary individuals have had on history; locally, nationally and internationally.
We've got a long way to go and we must keep fighting for justice and true equality.
All you need is Love,
-Angela
