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Here’s the difference between the declarations of freedom on July 4th and June 19th (Juneteenth).
The freedoms we signed our names to on July 4th are considered to be accomplished fact. Today, we strive to keep our freedoms, not obtain them.
The freedoms read aloud by Major General Gordon Granger in Galveston, Texas on June 19th, 1865, are not yet considered to be accomplished fact. Today, we still strive to make General Order Number 3 a reality.
General Order Number 3
“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”
In his book “Slavery by Another Name,” author Douglas A. Blackmon demonstrates how both laws and culture have prevented black Americans from experiencing the full measure of freedoms presented in the Declaration of Independence. I recommend you read it.
For white Americans June 19th should be a day of reflection and action.
1. Reflect on what equality should look like.
2. Reflect on what inequalities still exist.
3. Reflect on how you, personally and as part of your group of peers, can take action to remove inequalities.
4. Act on what you can do.