4 Ways You Can Celebrate Juneteenth

“Even though the Fourth of July has always been a holiday that Black Americans celebrated, they didn’t necessarily celebrate it as Independence Day, because our people were still enslaved,”  Dr. Farah Griffin.

Anyone who isn't living under a rock has undoubtedly heard of Juneteenth ( short for June 19th). But in case you haven't,  Juneteenth marks the "end to slavery" in the United States. It is considered the longest-running African American holiday.Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19^th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863.

As Americans shed light on the injustices that the Black Community faces, and thanks to the Black Lives Matter Movement,  people are now more aware of this holiday. In fact Forty-seven of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have recognized Juneteenth as either a state holiday or ceremonial holiday.

In the past few weeks, numerous companies, including Google, Twitter, and Nike, have stated that Juneteenth will now be a company-recognized holiday.

As this is fairly new to a lot of people, including myself, I thought it might be resourceful to share some ways that you can celebrate this holiday.

Here's 4 ways to you can celebrate Juneteenth this year:

1. Educate Yourself.

A google search will take you a long way. There are so many resources available to learn more about this holiday. Here's a few of them:

• Juneteenth.com
• This is Why Juneteeth is Important For America (Video)
• Why'd It Take So Long For Some Of Us To Find Out About Juneteenth
• Juneteenth For Mazie (Children's picture book)

2. Support Black-owned Businesses.

This again ties in with doing a little bit of research. With the increase in awareness of black businesses this shouldn't be hard. Do a quick hashtag search on social media #BlackOwned #BlackOwnedBusiness #LocalBlackBusiness , and your resources should be endless. If you have black entrepreneur friends, support their businesses by sharing their information on social media, referring clients to them and buying some of their products if you can afford to.

Photo Credit @stringgles.shop

3. Watch a Movie or series

Netflix has a launched a Black Lives Matter Collection with a list of 45 titles about racial injustice and Black experience in America. I would highly recommend Seven Seconds, 13th, When They See Us, BlackF, American Son. Some of these are very tough to watch, but they depict the reality of the injustice that Black people face in America.

4. Educate Others

Once your familiarize yourself with the history of African Americans and the importance of Juneteenth, I challenge you to have a conversation. Educate others and bring awareness about Juneteenth.

How are you planning on celebrating Juneteenth this year?