On Thursday, President Biden signed the observance of Juneteenth — June 19 — as a federal holiday. While Mid-Pen will hold summer session classes on Friday, we look forward to honoring Juneteenth as a holiday moving forward.

On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger traveled to Galveston, Texas, to deliver a message that the Civil War had ended and the enslaved were free. General Granger's declaration took place more than two years *after* the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. 

After the horrific murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black Americans, Juneteenth celebrations hold extra meaning as protests and events continue to call attention to systemic racism in our country. The events of 2020 increased awareness and dialogue about what we can all do to create change, including at Mid-Pen.

Moments after signing the bill into law on Thursday, President Biden said, “This is a day of profound weight and profound power, a day in which we remember the moral stain, the terrible toll that slavery took on the country and continues to take.” (AP News)

Cities around the country will honor Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, with celebrations through the weekend. Learn more about Juneteenth and check out resources for online and local events:

What is Juneteenth? By Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (via PBS)
So you want to learn about Juneteenth?  (via The New York Times)
Juneteenth Unityfest
15 Juneteeth Events Around the SF Bay Area (San Jose Mercury News)
How to Celebrate Juneteenth in The Bay Area (via San Francisco Chronicle)
MoAD Online Juneteenth Events - Includes concerts, discussions, lectures