Happy Juneteenth!
Today is Juneteenth, this year marks the 155th Anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States.
I will be honest and am sad to say, I did not know much about Juneteenth until recently.
I thought I would share a little bit of what I learned about of history for those who are unaware of what Juneteeth symbolizes:
On June 19, 1865, the last of the slaves in the United States, located in Galveston, Texas were set free when Major General Gordon Granger arrived with the news that the war had ended.
The freedom of the last slaves came 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Why? There were not enough Union soldiers to enforce the Executive Order, and it was only until the surrender of General Lee and arrival of General Granger and his troops were they able to have enough force to overcome the resistance.
While I did not learn about Juneteenth until recently, it is never too late to learn more about the history and injustice all those years ago. I am happy to be part of a state that values the rights of all and has made Juneteeth a state holiday.
