Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated by Black Americans on June 19 commemorating the abolition of slavery in the United States on that date in 1865. Many African-Americans view the day as their rightful Independence Day over the national holiday on July 4, throwing parades and events. Many Black politicians and entertainers flocked to their social media platforms to spread awareness of the day and to honor how far we’ve come since the days of slavery.
Scroll through the figures who commemorated Juneteenth below:
Cory Booker
Celebrating #Juneteenth today – recognizing we’ve come a long way, but we still got a long way left to go.
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) June 19, 2018
Charles M. Blow
Today is #Juneteenth, African-American Independence Day. July 4, had nothing to do with us. Today I will be grillin’ and chillin’… pic.twitter.com/GNSw48F7zA
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) June 19, 2018
Kamala Harris
On #Juneteenth, we celebrate emancipation and remember the long struggle for freedom. The slaves in Galveston were not told they were free until 2 yrs after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. More than 150 yrs later, our work is far from finished to achieve equality for all. pic.twitter.com/QAvVZGTxH5
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 19, 2018
Skylar Diggins-Smith
Happy #Juneteenth! ✊🏽 pic.twitter.com/AQfcuzAESP
— Skylar Diggins-Smith (@SkyDigg4) June 19, 2018
Ibram X. Kendi
On June 19, 1865, Texas slaveholders could no longer economically profit off of separating children from parents. On June 19, 2018, Trump Republicans are politically profiting off of separating children from their parents. Past-Present of #Juneteenth. Celebrate-Resist.
— Ibram X. Kendi (@DrIbram) June 19, 2018
Shonda Rhimes
“We need to advocate for an accurate history.” #Juneteenth2018 https://t.co/KGOPl20A0X
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) June 19, 2018
Brittany Packnett
I reached back to find some hope today-my well is dry. I was led back to the tribute I gave to Kalief Browder a year ago today, on #Juneteenth.
How do you fight for freedom when it seems impossible? A question befitting today.
I share with you: https://t.co/b7NSlgW1yP
— Brittany Packnett (@MsPackyetti) June 19, 2018
Charlamagne
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkNR8anlfRW/?utm_source=ig_embed
Michele Norris
Voting w/ our youngest son for his 1st time was even more meaningful today b/c my late father was in the Navy in WWII & returned to Alabama where he as a Black man was not allowed to vote – denying him a basic tenet of the democracy he fought to defend overseas. #juneteenth pic.twitter.com/1RjIXtrIx9
— Michele Norris (@michele_norris) June 19, 2018
D.L. Hughley
Happy #JUNETEENTH!! KNOW your history. And TEACH someone who doesn’t know why we celebrate.✊🏾 ✊🏾#TeamDL pic.twitter.com/6IEBct8gvx
— DL Hughley (@RealDLHughley) June 19, 2018
RuPaul
Happy Juneteenth! A Time To Reflect, Rejoice & Register To Vote. pic.twitter.com/T562sdc8VU
— RuPaul (@RuPaul) June 19, 2018
Common
Archival images of some of the earliest #Juneteenth Celebrations https://t.co/mcg6PJrtSH pic.twitter.com/zVbBZ0HYHI
— COMMON (@common) June 19, 2018
Bernice King
#Juneteenth! #FreedomDay! [Not familiar with the day? Do some research today. Let’s be educated and empowered!] pic.twitter.com/14iRT2BGT1
— The King Center (@TheKingCenter) June 19, 2018
Lizzo
HAPPY JUNETEENTH 🍷🍰
— |L I Z Z O| (@lizzo) June 19, 2018
Barack Obama
It’s #Juneteenth! Let’s celebrate the great people in our past that have made contributions to society, no matter what party they are with. pic.twitter.com/2hGhiSuI8K
— Barack Obama (@BarackObamar) June 16, 2018
Keith Boykin
The 2018 #Juneteenth parade in Harlem. Juneteenth recognizes the day in June of 1865 when blacks in parts of the south received word that the Civil War was over and they were free from slavery. pic.twitter.com/8BYaiNvi1x
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) June 16, 2018