Have you Heard of Juneteenth?

Have you Heard of Juneteenth?

Our Black Employees Connect (BE Connect) group is Powering Potential within our workforce by providing opportunities for inclusion through outreach, education, and support. Today, the group encouraged employees to learn more about the Juneteenth holiday and find ways to celebrate locally. Learn more in this message from BE Connect.

Black Employees - Connect

July 4 is known worldwide for Independence Day in the United States, but, this freedom was not afforded to all people in the United States. During this same time, slavery was prevelant, and enslaved Americans were not free until after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued to legally free all slaves in Confederate states (10 southern states). The order went into effect in on January 1, 1863, but, legal freedom did not actually begin until June 19, 1865 (now known as Juneteenth).

BE Connect Steering Committee

Juneteenth (Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Cel-Liberation Day or Emancipation Day) celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. This is when Union general Gordon Granger read federal orders in Galveston, Texas that all enslaved people in Texas were free. It then took another two years (July 1865) for the message to spread through the south and inform all slaves that they were legally free. Although, it is not considered a federal holiday, 47 of the 50 US states do recognize it as either a holiday or a special day of celebration.

BE Connect encourages everyone to do their research. Learn more about this important day, its meaning, and its impact on our world today. Many areas have celebrations to acknowledge Juneteenth. Please consider engaging in these events with social distancing and safety in mind. You can easily find events by searching “Juneteenth celebrations in your area."


More about BE Connect
BE Connect is one of Albemarle's employee resource groups. Their mission? To promote cultural understanding, quality leadership and professional excellence through cultural advocacy, diversity appreciation, professional support and community outreach. By providing our employees with opportunities for support, education, and networking, they aim to create an environment where people feel represented, empowered, engaged, and heard.

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