Dear Friend,
Whether you call it Emancipation Day, Freedom Day or the country’s second Independence Day, Juneteenth is one of the most important anniversaries in our nation’s history.
On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, who had fought for the Union, led a force of soldiers to Galveston, Texas, to deliver a very important message: the war was finally over, the Union had won, and it now had the manpower to enforce the end of slavery. The announcement came two months after the effective conclusion of the Civil War, and even longer since Abraham Lincoln had first signed the Emancipation Proclamation, but many enslaved black people in Texas still weren’t free, even after that day.
That was 156 years ago, and today not all people in this country are truly free.
As we work towards collective liberation Republican leaders like Governor Ron DeSantis are doing the opposite — not only signing bills into law that suppress our right to vote and protest but also trying to cover up the history and impact of slavery through recent decisions to ban Critical Race Theory from educational curriculum.
We cannot and will not go back in time, but it’s up to all of us to set Florida on a path for equity. To fight for our right to vote and eliminate systemic racism.
Yesterday Congress and President Biden officially made Juneteenth a federal holiday. The law that he signed went into effect immediately, making today the first federal Juneteenth holiday in American history. Though this is a monumental moment, it should be a call to action for all of us to do more in combating systemic racism and addressing the widespread disparities that exist throughout the Sunshine State.
Thank you for your commitment to equality for all– and if you are looking for ways to honor Juneteenth, below are several virtual and in-person events taking place in the Orlando area today and tomorrow. Just click on each graphic to learn more.
Onward together,
Rep. Anna V. Eskamani
Celebrate Freedom Juneteenth Event: Click Here to Learn More
3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration Event (Virtual): Click Here to Learn More
