By Princess Porter

June 19, 1865 commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Although slavery is not discussed in history classes, being able to educate the clients about a significant historical event was exciting.

Surprisingly, Juneteenth is not as well-known as the Fourth of July amongst the individuals we serve. For some, this was the first time they have celebrated this holiday.

To celebrate Juneteenth, we watched videos that discussed the history, wore shirts with traditional African flag colors, and created art. Each of their visual art projects illustrated inclusion! The themes of freedom to love one another regardless of race, sexual orientation, and abilities were common amongst each group.

Going forward, I expect our celebrations to grow in size and knowledge. Coming together to celebrate such a newly recognized holiday gives us inspiration to remember that it is never too late to do the right thing!

Hear from a few of our individuals and their experiences:

“I feel more freedom and it made me so happy. I liked the coloring activity and being treated fairly.” -AC

“I felt excited watching the video on Juneteenth and it’s an honor to be free!”-OW