“Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave.” – Frederick Douglass

 On June 19, 1865, enslaved men and women in Texas found out—weeks after the Civil War ended—that they were free, and the Union Army’s Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” Through the Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, emancipation officially ended slavery throughout the United States. However, chattel slavery did not immediately end, and the long-term economic impact and social constraints of generational and systemic bondage scarred the road to freedom.

But the story doesn’t end on that day. 

The celebration of Juneteenth represents a monumental moment, a snapshot of one day in our shared story. But beyond celebration, there is real history with an undercurrent of lingering discrimination and struggles after the Emancipation Proclamation, often unknown to many Americans, even after the Juneteenth holiday was signed into federal law in 2021. Juneteenth celebrations represent the country moving forward from enslavement, but also remind us of the struggle that often comes before any victory.

At the Korematsu Institute, we believe words matter and education is an important tool to help defeat xenophobia and racism. We believe in sharing our American story in the classroom. We can share the context and importance of events like Juneteenth as well as the truths, histories, and voices of all our people from countries all around the globe. Education is not only about the past, but also helps us all make connections to present-day issues like civil rights, understand our foundational documents like the U.S. Constitution and our outlined civil liberties, and ultimately can prevent us from repeating the mistakes of the past. Education helps us understand that all of our people’s various histories and struggles played a part in the story of the United States, and all of their triumphs played a part in our Nation’s success. We need to honor Juneteenth as a moment in our shared history, but also remember how it fits into the larger story to help us build a strong, united future. This is about all of us.