What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is a celebration of liberation by mostly black union soldiers nearly two and a half years after The Emancipation Proclamation. At the time, it was difficult to enforce the liberation of enslaved people in more remote areas, like the Westernmost confederate state Texas following the end of the civil war.

Union Soldiers marched onto plantations reading the emancipation proclamation and ensuring it was enforced. Over 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were finally liberated on June 19th 1865.. The road to reconstruction in the south would begin with newly freed people suing former owners for compensation, running for political office and starting schools for their children.

The courage it took to make these brave choices inspire us today. Unfortunately, when states previously governed by confederates stopped licking their wounds- they too got to work putting into legislation segregating Jim Crow Laws which would cripple the movement for equal rights and liberation for black people. These laws would go into effect for over 100 years spanning from 1870 to the Civil right movement in the 1960's.

Today, we are tasked with re-imagining education for all kids- particularly underserved black and brown kids.

Sanidia Oliver-Stone

Founder | Head of School

The Morgan Oliver School