VP Kamala Harris visited the African American History Museum in Washington DC today, surprising a class of students as America observed our first federal holiday for Juneteenth.
Children and their families greeted Harris, the first Black woman to serve as the nation's second-highest executive, with cheers as she entered the room.
"Happy Juneteenth, young leaders," a smiling Harris told the children.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were the last to learn President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier, freeing them from slavery. The date achieved federal holiday status last June, when President Joe Biden signed into law the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.
"Today is a day to celebrate the principle of freedom," Harris told the children ages 4 to 10, "and think about it in terms of the context of history, knowing that Black people in America were not free for 400 years of slavery, but then at the end of slavery -- right? ... when the Emancipation Proclamation happened, that America had to really think about defining freedom ..."
"I would argue, it is our God-given right to have freedom," she added. "It is your birthright to have freedom, and then during slavery freedom was taken. And so we're not going to celebrate being given back what God gave us anyway" as the group voiced agreement, one person saying, "Amen."
She continued, "let this be a day that is a day to celebrate the principle of freedom, but to speak about it honestly and accurately, both in the context of history, and current application. That's what I'm thinking about today."
Republicans in several states of course have made laws where students and teachers actually did "speak about it honestly and accurately" about Juneteenth and its accompanying history "both in the context of history, and current application" the teacher would immediately be fired or worse.
It's no coincidence that she said this.
Black Lives Still Matter.
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