Juneteenth and the Question of True Freedom: Emancipation, Incarceration, and the Fight for Liberation Part 1

As the red, black, and green flags fluttered across city blocks and Juneteenth celebrations fill the air with the aroma of barbecue and the rhythms of African drums, the nation is finally catching up to a truth Black communities have long known: Juneteenth is not just a holiday—it is a moment of recognition, of resilience, and of unfinished struggle.

President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021, but for many Black Americans, the day has always carried sacred weight. June 19, 1865, marks when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved Africans that they were free—a full two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Apparently, freedom takes a scenic route when it's coming to Black folks.