Juneteenth
Until this year (2020), I always thought of this day as a relative's birthday. It is a few days after my Mother's birthday and falls right around Father's Day. That was my little world view of June 19.
This year is different. It brought on an extraordinary focus on disparities of Black lives and police brutality.
The entire world now, myself included, sees the greater importance of this day. Slavery ended in America on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The day is celebrated as Juneteeth, also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day.
155 years later, we're still fighting for equality. May 2020 be the tipping point in finally experience true freedom from systemic racism, bigotry, hatred, discrimination, and police brutality.
People are demanding change globally, and change is here.
The Supreme Court upholds the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include protection for LGBTQ employees in the workplace.
The Supreme Court blocks the cancellation of the DACA program
I'm very grateful that my employer is supporting Juneteenth by giving us this day to reflect and participate.