Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom
Juneteenth is not just Black history; it is American history and we encourage you to take some time to learn and be vulnerable in your understanding of this day. Juneteenth (June 19) sometimes called Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is the day commemorated as the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Federal troops arrived in Galveston, TX to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed.
The abolition of slavery is one of the greatest achievements in the grand experiment that is the United States. Inherent, universal, equal individual rights including self‐ownership, and voluntary exchange were at the heart of the abolitionist movement, and slavery is the antithesis of liberty. The word “liberty” itself is Latin in origin which represented how the ancient Romans denoted the status of persons who were not slaves.
Juneteenth can and should serve as a call to action, a reminder of our urgent need to complete the great unfinished work, to create a more perfect union dedicated to the self‐evident truth that all are created equal. The mass protests over the murder of George Floyd have brought renewed attention to the need for police accountability and also a reform of a criminal justice system that has been bathed in oppression. The “promissory note,” as Martin Luther King, Jr. referred to in the Declaration of Independence, has yet to be cashed in full.
By affirming what we want to celebrate as a people, we don’t just memorialize the past; we set our sights on what we want to attain for our future and the kinds of progress that are worth honoring because we want to both preserve those gains and continue to build on them. So today, have a happy Juneteenth from all of us here at nextSource.
nextSource is a proud equal opportunity employer where we have worked diligently on a comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion program for all employees no matter their race or background.
