The story of our nation is incomplete without the ongoing work of liberation. This Freedom Day, let us honor our ancestors through joy, action, organizing, and reparative policies that bring us closer to freedom. Happy Juneteenth, family!

Juneteenth is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of African-Americans who had been enslaved in the United States. Originating in Galveston, Texas, it is now celebrated annually on June 19 throughout the United States, with increasing official recognition, and became a federal holiday in 2021. It is commemorated on the anniversary date of the June 19, 1865, announcement of General Order No. 3 by Union Army general Gordon Granger, proclaiming freedom from slavery in Texas. Song courtesy E. A.