Que viva Juneteenth

We join in honoring Juneteenth

Somos en escrito Magazine, in the name of Associate Editors Scott Duncan-Fernandez, Jenny Irizary and me, Armando Rendón, join in celebrating the designation of June 19, Juneteenth, as a national holiday to mark the end of slavery in the United States.

Even though the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863, it was not until June 19, 1865, that 2,000 Union soldiers arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, to proclaim the news that slavery had been abolished. The newly freed people in Texas named the day, “Juneteenth.”

We know that much has still to be done to address issues that divide the U.S. In many ways, Juneteenth shines a light on the darknesses that persist in our society.

All peoples in this country have common cause who take seriously the democratic principles proclaimed in the U.S. Constitution, who work to ensure for each other certain inalienable rights as guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, and who strive together with communities of all origins to fulfill the pledge of assuring “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for all as a mutual goal.

These common bonds and values have now, finally, led to making June 19th, Juneteenth, a federal holiday.

¡Que viva Juneteenth!

THE SOMOS EN ESCRITO STAFF