Known as "Juneteenth," June 19th commemorates the day that enslaved persons in Galveston, Texas, were notified about the Emancipation Proclamation--almost two and a half years after it was issued. They walked away from bondage in what is known as the "Second Independence Day." This day has been celebrated for years since, and is recognized as a holiday in 47 of the 50 states.
While free in name, formerly enslaved Black people would be impacted by sharecropping and other systems and policies that sought to keep them in bondage and indebted. Many were terrorized when they attempted to leave plantations, including during and after Reconstruction.
Today, we see vestiges of slavery in the criminalization of Black people, in domestic terrorism, and in the deprivation of civil rights of Black people.
This webinar featured speakers who discuss Juneteenth, including its historical significance and its connection to racial inequities that we are witnessing in society today. They also discussed the potential of law and public policy to help Black people realize true freedom in this society.
June 19, 2020 Rapid Response
Juneteenth: Freedom Work Still To Do
Speakers
- Judy Perry Martinez (Welcome Remarks), President, American Bar Association; Of Counsel, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn
- Paulette Brown (Moderator), Past President, American Bar Association; Senior Partner and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Locke Lord LLP
James O. Goodwin, Attorney, Goodwin & Goodwin; Publisher, The Oklahoma Eagle
Dr. Karlos Hill, Department Chair and Associate Professor, African and African-American Studies, University of Oklahoma
Dr. Martha S. Jones, Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor and Professor of History, Johns Hopkins University
- Dr. Calvin Schermerhorn, Professor of History, Arizona State University
Joint Sponsors: ABA Diversity and Inclusion Center, ABA Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice, ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession, ABA Commission on Disability Rights, ABA Commission on Women in the Profession, ABA Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights & Responsibilities, ABA Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, ABA Council for Diversity in the Educational Pipeline, ABA Center for Public Interest Law, ABA Section of State and Local Government Law
Resources
Why all Americans should celebrate Juneteenth
VOX, June 19, 2020 | Featuring Dr. Karlos K. Hill
Why celebrating Juneteenth is more important now than ever
VOX, June 19, 2018 | Featuring Dr. Karlos K. Hill
VIDEO: Tulsa Race Massacre Expert Hannibal Johnson speaks with OC President deSteiguer
Attorney James O. Goodwin Honored For 50 Years Of Service To The Tulsa City-County Board Of Health
SPOTLIGHT: James Goodwin - Attorney and publisher of The Oklahoma Eagle
Keeanga-Yahmatta Taylor, Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Home Ownership (2019).
Shennette Garrett-Scott, Banking on Freedom: Black Women and U.S. Finance Before the New Deal (2019).
Mehrsa Baradaran, The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap (2017).
A. Kirsten Mullen and William S. Darity, From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century (2020).
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