Happy Juneteenth / Freedom Day!!

Happy Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, or Liberation Day.

Juneteenth officially marks the day that enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas were notified of their freedom, marking this as the final message of freedom across the southern states. This news arrived on June 19, 1865, more than two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order noting the freedom of all enslaved persons across the nation.

What we need to remember is that the declaration of Independence was signed 90 years before Juneteenth, so the celebration of freedom on July 4, 1776 entirely neglected the fact that Black people were enslaved. Juneteenth represents the true Independence Day for African Americans across the United States.

I'm proud of GumGum for recognizing Juneteenth as a company holiday (U.S. Offices will be closed tomorrow), and more importantly, for helping bring awareness and education to folks in our community who are still learning.We've curated a selection of educational resources to learn more about the history of Juneteenth and encourage you to celebrate and discover the meaning and celebration behind this important day!

Click here for our Celebrating Juneteenth guide and if you're able, share with us below how you plan on celebrating this weekend!