6/19/20: For reasons that should be abundantly clear, there has been a fair amount of talk lately about Juneteenth. After doing some reading and watching some videos, I have been thinking for weeks about what I should post to commemorate the day. Here’s the conclusion I reached (with the help of Beloved). I should say nothing. It’s not my experience or my thoughts that matter.

Instead, I’m going to let some very smart people educate us all about the origins of Juneteenth. I wish a joyous Emancipation Day to all who celebrate, and I’m sorry I didn’t get it before.

“In the most remote corners of the Confederacy, news of slavery’s end did not come until more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. On June 19, 1865, General Order No. 3 was delivered to the people of Galveston, Texas, officially freeing the last enslaved people in the United States. [It is important to] celebrate the history and continued significance of Juneteenth.”

Now that you’ve got the broad strokes, I recommend you also give this 19-minute podcast a listen.

Today Explained by Google Podcasts

And there are some great additional resources to be found here.