Yesterday we celebrated Juneteenth Day and today it is recognized as a federal holiday. Juneteenth is more than a day off work for us, it is a day we celebrate freedom. Living a life of freedom allows us to be grateful, peaceful, and joyful. It is also a time where we remember where we came from and reflect on how we became free.
Our freedom was also delayed, and some did not know we were free and still today some of us still question are we really free? Certainly, we are but still there are times in our lives where it seems like others forget. Like, getting equal treatment in the workplace, when it is time to buy a home or even when it is time for justice, there is still mistreatment.
We must remember that no matter how many times we struggle to fit in and be accepted, freedom is a state of mind. It is a fact that we are free and most of the time the life we create for ourselves has the most power and the life I choose to live is one that is free.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of volunteering at the America’s Black Holocaust Museum at 401 W. North Ave in Milwaukee, founded by James Cameron, who became well known after surviving a Lynching. He is also the author of “A Time of Terror” which tells his story. His legacy will never be forgotten, and the museum is a wonderful way for us to learn where we come from, where we are and how we got here.
As we celebrate Juneteenth let us reflect on how we got to where we are today and remember what it took for us to get here. Let us also continue to make changes in our lives to go further and keep changing the narrative. We are still free to live our lives, continue to grow and succeed!
Happy Juneteenth!