To All Greenbrier Employees and Colleagues:
Tomorrow, June 19, is Juneteenth, which commemorates the official end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth is also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black Independence Day. While the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in September of 1863, the proclamation did not end slavery in the United States. Slavery ended on April 9, 1865, when the Union prevailed in the Civil War. However, slaves in Texas remained in bondage until June 19, 1865, because they were not told they had been freed. It was not until Union General Gordon Granger read the federal orders from a hotel balcony that they got the news.
This year’s Juneteenth comes at an incredibly significant moment in American history. The United States is in the midst of witnessing one of its most significant social justice movements since the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.
Every day, each of us should strive to live our core value, Respect for People. Tomorrow’s commemoration of Juneteenth should bring it to the forefront of our minds. This is an opportunity to celebrate the lives of Black Americans, to reflect on our country’s history of slavery, and to take action to move our community and our nation towards racial equity and justice.
To learn more about Juneteenth, consider starting with these resources from:
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