It took two and a half years for the last enslaved people to learn that they were free in 1865.

This Friday, June 19, is Juneteenth, a celebration that commemorates that day and the end of slavery. It’s an important day in our country’s history -- yet even now, it’s been erased from calendars and school curriculums. Black-led organizations are working to change that and to make Juneteenth a nationwide holiday that celebrates Black liberation and resistance. 

This year, the holiday holds particular significance as protests against police brutality and the senseless loss of Black lives forge ahead.

That’s why this Juneteenth, we’re encouraging you to take action throughout the weekend by joining one of the hundreds of nationwide protests led by the Movement for Black Lives.

Click here to find a Six Nineteen protest near you or RSVP to attend a remote event.

Juneteenth honors Black freedom and centers Black people’s unique contribution to the ongoing struggle for justice in the United States. 

Although the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in January 1863, the news took two and a half years to reach southern states like Texas, where slavery continued without any enforcement, oversight, or even knowledge of Lincoln’s Executive Order. 

Finally, on June 19, 1865, Union troops reached Galveston, TX with the news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were now free.

We honor that date and we don’t want to wait for justice in our time. We’re joining the Movement for Black Lives this Juneteenth in demanding justice, accountability, a divestment from policing, and an investment in healthy, sustainable communities.

Click here to join with your community to proclaim in one voice that Black Lives Matter, on Juneteenth and on every other day of the year. Join the Movement For Black Lives and dozens of other partners in one of the hundreds of protests planned all across the country.

Stay safe, wear your mask outdoors, and happy Juneteenth. 

Eloise and Sami
Digital Team, Stand Up America