I was caught off guard when President Biden swiftly signed the law formalizing June 19th as a Federal Holiday to commemorate the final day of bondage in this County. It wasn’t until I moved to Houston, Texas that I encountered my first celebration and learned of the historic Juneteenth. There were many local events to mark the day but not a true national awareness.
It is not often one can have a sense of the collective traumatic impact of history leading up to June 19, 1885. As a result, the hopes and joys of Black Texans spread across the country as they struck out to seek a new future. So too does this country has an opportunity to celebrate and learn about marking the end of the war that wanted to preserve slavery.
It is with reflection and sincere belief we can continue to learn from the past, gaining a deeper understanding of our shared love for this Country.
|