Juneteenth-Freedom and the power of information to teach, inspire, change.

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Juneteenth memorializes an incredible day for African Americans. It is also emblematic of two ideas we take for granted today - freedom and immediate access to information. 

Freedom: June 19th represents the date in 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news that the American Civil War had ended and enslaved African Americans now had their freedom. Freedom is different from systematic oppression, which still affects African Americans in the 21st Century. Information: Today, we expect immediate access to information. In 1865, it took two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation for news of freedom to reach Galveston, Texas. 

Let us celebrate freedom, work together to end oppression, and embrace the power of information to inspire, teach, and change for the good of all.