Recognizing Juneteenth, Freedom Day

Celebrated as Juneteenth (a portmanteau of “June” and “nineteenth”) – is a day of recognition. For African Americans, it marks the day in which the United States ceased its barbaric practice of legalized slavery. Sadly, this was two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had already granted that very same freedom to African Americans in January of 1863. As with most holidays, June 19, 1865 marked a pivotal moment in history: the day the last group of African Americans in Texas were notified they were no longer in bondage, effectively ending slavery in the United States. 

This year, on the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth, communities of all races – Black, Latinx, Native American, Asian, and countless others – will come together to celebrate, educate, and advocate. Juneteenth is a day for remembering the freedoms that are endowed to all people living in the United States.

Users will find a dedicated page in our app filled with resources to learn more about the holiday and Black history, informational and thoughtful videos from creators, and social justice organizations that users can support by clicking the #Juneteenth banner on the Discover page.   

We are also partnering with BLKFREEDOM.org, a digital commemoration of Juneteenth, to connect users to this special initiative launched by six Black museums and historical institutions across the United States. The site will debut a video presentation on the significance of emancipation featuring Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, the first woman and the first African American to lead the national library; Dr. Johnnetta Cole, anthropologist, educator, museum director, and the first female African American president of Spelman College; and Lonnie G. Bunch III, the first African American and first historian to serve as the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. The presentation will begin at 9am PT/ 12pm ET and can be accessed by clicking the Juneteenth banner.

We recognize the Juneteenth holiday as a day of celebration for African Americans; a time for reflection and learning, connection and engagement, and support and action. We are inspired by those using this time to understand how systemic racism impacts the Black community, and we stand with those who recognize that Black lives matter – yesterday, today, and tomorrow.