Today is Juneteenth, an American holiday that commemorates the freeing of slaves in Galveston, Texas. On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had formally freed the slaves, further federal orders were issued in an area where compliance and enforcement of the proclamation had lagged behind. To learn more about Juneteenth, click here or on Vox.com’s article here.
The topic of systemic racism against Black Americans has been especially prevalent in the national conversation the last few weeks, after the killing of George Floyd by police officers sparked protests across the country.