Recognizing and celebrating Juneteenth.

Whether you celebrate Juneteenth, have only heard of it, or are wondering what we're talking about, we wanted to dedicate this week's Musings to the holiday this upcoming Saturday.

(Google only added Juneteenth to its holidays calendar last year!)

If you're not familiar with the history of the holiday, Juneteenth (short for June 19th, 1865) is a celebration of the day when all slaves were officially freed. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, states still under Confederate control maintained slavery for another two-and-a-half years. 

On what would become known as Juneteenth (also formerly known as Emancipation Day or Jubilee), federal troops marched into Galveston, Texas and took control of the state, freeing more than 250,000 people who were still enslaved. (Here's a more in-depth audio history explanation.)

Despite the grim origins of the holiday, Juneteenth is intended to be a celebration of freedom and heritage, and we want to honor and recognize that.

Looking for a way to celebrate? We've included links to local events below. Our team also highly recommends the Netflix documentary In Our Mothers' Gardens, a film about black women empowerment and healing.

If you are celebrating this weekend, we celebrate with you!

Events:

• NAACP Oakland Presents Black Family Weekend 2021- JUNETEENTH Family Cookout
• Second Annual Oakland Juneteenth Fest San Francisco Black Film Festival Plus 9 other events around the Bay Area celebrating Juneteenth
• Second Annual Oakland Juneteenth Fest