June 19th is Juneteenth. You likely know that by now. We at Visionary are hopeful that this year will see the largest celebration this country has seen yet. In case you aren’t aware, Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the US. The news from the Union soldiers in Galveston, Texas that the war had ended and slaves were now free came two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Just thinking about how that much time could go by without slaves being freed by executive order – because they had no access to the information and slaveowners were not about to tell them – is a heartbreaking and prescient look at our treatment of Black people in America.
Many went searching for family that had been ripped away from them, and some were reunited, determined to start life over as free citizens in neighboring states and into the north (though it would be a long time before “free” was considered even remotely “equal.” And we’re still waiting). Former slaves and their descendants would make an annual pilgrimage to Galveston each year in celebration of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth is synonymous with freedom, self improvement, family, and education. It is a time of reflection on the past and making moves for the future that will reverberate through generations. There’s no time like now to have a Juneteenth celebration that will echo around the world. Juneteenth is, at its core, visionary.
For our part, we are focused on educating ourselves as well as giving back to our community. On Friday, June 19th, Visionary will be donating 19% of our sales to Chicago Child Care Society.
Chicago Child Care Society is a non profit organization that supports children, youth and families to reach their full potential. They serve Chicago’s South, Southwest and South Suburban areas, providing innovative, community-based education and social service programs that address the current and emerging needs of children and their families.
If you are not scheduled to be in our store but would like to donate to this incredible cause, please see our link here or use the button below. We will continue to partner with CCCS, and will keep you updated on more events and joint efforts to help people see their full potential.
We can all continue to listen, learn, and grow. We will work harder, backing up our words with actions in order to grow and be the best members of an anti-racist society we possibly can.
Juneteenth is a truly visionary holiday, and we invite you to celebrate change and freedom for all.
