Illustration via Galveston.com
In solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, the Women’s Law Project is closed today in observance of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 that Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news the war was over and the people who had been enslaved were now free.
Though President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation two and a half years earlier, the executive order had little effect in Texas due to a lack of awareness and enforcement. It wasn’t until Union soldiers arrived on Juneteenth that enslaved Texans were actually freed.
Last year, Governor Wolf declared “Juneteenth National Freedom Day” a statewide holiday in Pennsylvania. This week, Mayor Kenney followed suit and declared Juneteenth a holiday in the City of Philadelphia. We believe it should also be a federal holiday to commemorate the end of our country’s original sin of slavery.
Given how far we have to go to rectify the racial disparities so deeply woven into our society and institutions, this is just one small gesture in the scheme of things. We hope that our staff uses the time to do whatever it is they need the most at this critical time in history: rest, celebrate, take action toward racial justice, or if necessary, spend time learning more about the history of Black America and the ongoing struggle for equality.
The Women’s Law Project is a public interest law center in Pennsylvania devoted to advancing and defending the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people in Pennsylvania and beyond.
June 2020: Our physical offices are still closed due to the pandemic but we are OPEN and working to serve your needs. Contact us here. Sign up for WLP’s Action Alerts. Stay up to date by following us on twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
