“Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it.”

— Abraham Lincoln 

One hundred and fifty-five years ago today, Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger traveled to Galveston, Texas, along with about 2,000 Union soldiers, to free about 250,000 slaves in Texas with the “General Order No. 3.” 

The “General Order No. 3” stated,

“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with the Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”

People will remember President Abraham Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and the Civil War coming to an end when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered on April 9, 1865, in Virginia. However, it was Juneteenth (June 19, 1865) that emancipated the remaining enslaved African-Americans in the Confederacy.

Our Thoughts

We are all equal, and freedom is not just for the privileged few, but for everyone. Join us and celebrate Juneteenth. We must remember the past, even if it is painful, so we don’t duplicate the same evils against humanity in the future.

Happy Juneteenth!

Video credit: Vox | YouTube