Juneteenth — a blending of the words June and nineteenth — is a celebration marking an end to slavery in the United States. Though President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, very few people were immediately freed. Two and a half years later the enslaved African Americans in Texas were pronounced free people. That date — June 19, 1865 — has been proclaimed Juneteenth and celebrated annually ever since.
For many years, Juneteenth has been under-recognized and under-celebrated. Yet, Juneteenth marks the nation’s second Independence Day and is a significant milestone in American history.
The Charlotte County Democratic Party encourages you hear from Clint Smith, author of the recently released How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America. This enlightening event will take place on Friday, June 18th from 12 noon to 12:45 pm via ZOOM. Register for it by clicking here.
The Atlantic staff writer Clint Smith will take readers to nine monuments and landmarks — some that are honest about the past and some that are not — and reflects on how the history of slavery continues to reverberate today. As we celebrate emancipation on Juneteenth, Smith joins Theodore R. Johnson, director of the Brennan Center’s Fellows Program, to discuss the hopeful role that memory can play in making sense of our country. This event is produced in partnership with New York University’s John Brademas Center.
Speakers:
– Clint Smith, Staff Writer, The Atlantic; author, How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America
– Moderator: Theodore R. Johnson, Director, Fellows Program, Brennan Center
Register for this enlightening event by clicking here.
