Juneteenth: A Celebration of resilience
In celebration of Juneteenth, join Secretary Lonnie Bunch on a virtual tour of the Slavery and Freedom exhibition at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Juneteenth celebration in 1900 at Eastwoods Park, Texas. Credit: Austin History Center.
For many, Juneteenth is not well-known. The unofficial holiday commemorates the moment that many of the enslaved in Texas first learned they were free, when a Union general arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865 and shared the news of emancipation two years after the Proclamation was signed. Each year, African American communities across the nation celebrate Juneteenth to mark the end of slavery. To me, Juneteenth is also a time to ponder the fragility of freedom. It is a time to remember the long fight to make freedom and equality a reality for all who called America home.
As we mourn the death of George Floyd and so many others, please take a few moments on Friday to disconnect and postpone some meetings, to gather together with your family or virtually with your friends. Give yourself time to reflect on this moment and on the ongoing struggle to help America be a country that lives up to our values. And to ponder how we can all help a nation find truth, understanding, and even hope.
At this very difficult and painful moment, I want to thank you for your commitment to the Smithsonian and to a freer and fairer America. I take personal inspiration and sustenance from all of you.
Please join me on this virtual tour of the Slavery and Freedom exhibition at the National Museum of African American History and Culture to celebrate #Juneteenth. I’ll highlight stories behind some of the museum’s most popular objects, including Nat Turner’s bible, freedom papers of free African Americans and a Sibley tent that housed African Americans who ran from Southern plantations in search of freedom with the Union army.
Additional Juneteenth resources: Juneteenth Resources
Related posts:
Posted: 19 June 2020
