By Cheryl Wills
On June 19, 1865, slaves living in Texas were told they were now free. It was a full two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed by Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln had already been assassinated. There were still two border states and some Indian nations that allowed slavery, but this is the date celebrated as the official end of slavery in the United States.
Juneteenth celebrations began a year later, mostly in Black churches, and they’ve carried on since then, within the country’s African American community.
Reparations to descendants of enslaved Black Americans must be an open and ongoing discussion. The issue got a boost when the recently ended session of the state Legislature included passage of a measure to establish a reparations task force, said Serena White-Lake, a member of the board of directors of the African American Cultural Center. Racism’s ugly legacy remains manifest in significant societal matters including housing, health care, police brutality and voting access.
Looking for speakers to commemorate on Juneteenth?
As the great-great-great granddaughter of Sandy Wills, an enslaved Civil War Soldier. Cheryl Wills has spent the last 10 years researching her family history and “bringing honor” to her ancestors. Determined to right this historic wrong, for Cheryl Juneteenth lives within her. Cheryl is a nationally recognized award-winning television personality for Spectrum News flagship national news network, New York 1 News and Author of Die Free: A Heroic Family History.
We have had the pleasure of working and customizing sessions for our clients with Cheryl Wills, typically we would share the top speakers for Juneteenth, but this time, we are so deeply moved and inspired by the fight that Cheryl continues to live and experience day by day that we are giving you only one option to celebrate Juneteenth with, Cheryl Wills.
Ready to leave your employees in awe, inspired and with the knowledge of what this day represents and what their role can be today to bridge the gap to equity and freedom.
Visit Cheryl Will’s profile to book a Conference for this year’s Juneteenth!