Today, we celebrate Juneteenth

Today we celebrate Juneteenth, in honor of all African American descendants of the slave trade in America. Project Access NOW invites you to help us acknowledge and celebrate this important day for African Americans and others in the African Diaspora in the U.S. and various U.S. Territories.

You may have learned in high school that President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 — this was designed to free all enslaved people in the United States of America. However, the State of Texas did not inform the slaves in that state until they were forced to do so — on June 19, 1865.

On June 19, 1866, freed slaves all over the US began celebrating what is often referred to as Independence Day for African Americans. The 4th of July – America’s Independence Day — is very significant for all Americans. Juneteenth is celebrated to recognize the emancipation of slaves in America. This date takes on renewed significance in 2020 — with racial turmoil, increased instances of social injustice, and a global pandemic that is having a disproportionate impact on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities.Project Access NOW recognizes that we need to do a better job of celebrating our differences. We will continue to use an equity lens to learn more about the various cultures that make up our team and the communities we serve.

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For those wanting to learn more, we have listed a few links about the significance of this date: