Today, June 19th (Juneteenth) is a national and state holiday “to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the US.” (Oxford Dictionary). The celebration originated in Texas to bring awareness to the date June 19, 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, when “enslaved people were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.” As an equity-minded Pacific Islander educator and parent to two US-born mixed race children, I stand in solidarity with all African Americans, celebrate freedom for all people, and continue to fight against racism and oppressions.
