Juneteenth

"Honoring the Past, Inspiring The Future"

Road to Emancipation

Remembering WHY we celebrate JUNETEENTH

In 18 days we will celebrate a day known as JUNETEENTH! Juneteenth is a holiday that has been observed in Texas since 1866, commemorating the day that enslaved people in Texas finally received the news of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln's gave the order on January 1, 1863. In solidarity, Juneteenth continues to be celebrated by African Americans throughout the United States. Juneteenth became a national holiday in the Unites States on June 17, 2021. I being very surprised as many were, as Unique Unity began offering a variety of educational programs. We have focused on increasing literacy opportunities for minority youth. Educators have deemed that an 'achievement gap' exists between African American Children and their White counterparts. We believe the research that supports evidence that the achievement gap is really the result of an opportunity gap. African American children are quite capable of learning but often lack the resources that are afforded to their peers, mainly because of poverty and other systemic issues. In 1860, only 10% of enslaved African Americans were literate. Literacy was a powerful tool against slavery. This fact was known by slave owners who would punish slaves who were caught trying to learn to read. Learning to read was illegal for enslaved people. Today, learning to read is not against the law for African Americans. However, as for many African American children, barriers continue to exist that will not allow them to reach their full potential as learners and leaders.