The celebration of Juneteenth is new as a NATIONAL HOLIDAY, but for years it's been recognized by millions across the country. If you're wondering exactly what we are celebrating, I think it starts first with understanding that black people freed themselves. Yes, President Abraham Lincoln played a role in helping to abolish slavery when he signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, but he did not "free" the slaves - the enslaved had been emancipating themselves since the beginning of enslavement: when they ran from plantations, jumped from slave ships, escaped by train, etc.
Juneteenth, otherwise known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, is an annual commemoration of June 19, 1865, the day that General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform its citizens that all enslaved people were officially free. Progress is being made, but that doesn't mean that it's time to slow down by any means. Here are 10 amazing quotes about freedom, to celebrate Juneteenth!