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The Good Good Good office is closed today to commemorate Juneteenth, but we prepared this bonus Goodnewsletter filled with good news, resources, and ways we can all thoughtfully join in celebrating.
Celebrating juneteenth
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Juneteenth celebrates freedom from slavery — and it recognizes the Black struggle for education
Prior to the enactment of the 13th Amendment in 1865 — and the origin of the Juneteenth holiday two years later — anti-literacy laws in southern states across the U.S. continued to impact formerly enslaved people.
While responses to their newfound freedom varied, a primary goal of newly freed people was to receive an education. They gathered in churches, homes, cellars, sheds, and more to learn how to read and write.
About 90% of the Black population in Southern states were illiterate in 1865 — that percentage dropped to 70% by 1880. In the 15 years following the Civil War, a total of 59 HBCUs had opened their doors to Black students.
Juneteenth is a celebration of that progress — and the continued struggle for true freedom and equality.
Juneteenth commemorates the day the last remaining enslaved people in the U.S. — in Galveston, Texas — received word that the Civil War had ended and they had been liberated by the federal orders in President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The year was 1865 — two and a half years after Lincoln's proclamation.
Celebrations broke out, and in the years since, the tradition spread. It’s celebrated today through backyard parties, community parades, memorials, delicious meals, and more.
Juneteenth is a time of sharing stories of Black resilience, resistance, liberation, and joy — and an opportunity for all of us to deepen our understanding of history and pave the way to a brighter, more just future. Here are some ways we can do that:
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