Dear Friends,
This weekend many will celebrate Juneteenth, also known as African American Independence Day or Freedom Day. Taking place on June 19, Juneteenth acknowledges the formal end of chattel slavery in America, when, after a full two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were made aware that slavery had ended.
"The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere." —General Orders, Number 3; Headquarters District of Texas, Galveston, June 19, 1865
This holiday, which has been in existence since 1979, offers a reminder that knowledge is power AND that knowledge has been historically and systematically withheld from marginalized groups of people in our country.
With Horizons at Greene Street Friends beginning in just over a week, I'm grateful to be a part of a movement to arm young Black and Brown people with social-emotional and academic tools for success so that they can build a future of their own design. I'm also grateful that you are here, walking alongside our community.
This Juneteenth, we celebrate our physical freedom, while also honoring the continued pursuit of educational liberation.
In partnership,
Malia Neal
Executive Director
