The Illusion of Juneteenth: Why We Celebrate & What It Means | Online

About this event

Juneteenth is an annual holiday commemorating the day (June 19, 1865) when some enslaved Africans learned that slavery in the US had been abolished by the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Historians report that those who enslaved the Africans (such as many enslavers in Texas) intentionally withheld information about the Emancipation Proclamation in order to keep their free labor force intact. This workshop is an opportunity to learn about important aspects of African/African American history, culture, and heritage, engage in critical and meaningful conversation about Juneteenth, and connect recent events, such as killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks to past events, for the purpose of adding substance and depth to the notion that Black lives matter.

Takeaways

• Understand more about African/African American history, culture and heritage and reasons why Juneteenth is celebrated.
• Be aware of some of the important knowledge and information that is missing from the pages of mainstream texts that are used in educational institutions in the US and throughout the world.
• Be able to connect the lack of information to the lack of understanding to the incidents that are negatively affecting people of African descent.
• Acquire action steps toward creating a more just society in the US and abroad.