You can break my bones

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd last year, the company for which I work gave US employees Juneteenth off. Starting this year, it’s an annual holiday, and we’re off today. I’m glad, because—like Memorial Day, Labor Day, MLK Day and Veterans Day—it’s an opportunity for us to reflect on our history, to honor the sacrifices made by generations of Americans to make our lives better and to consider how we can further that continuum.

If you’re unclear about Juneteenth, it commemorates the day in 1865 when news arrived in Galveston with Union troops that the end of the War Between the States meant emancipation for slaves across the country. The Emancipation Proclamation, which the victory at Antietam in September of 1862 made possible, outlawed slavery in all territories then in rebellion against the United States. However, as you might imagine, the Confederates basically said, “Yeah, and?” and got on with their slaving business for another two years. Two months after the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox, the “and” question was answered in Texas.

We all know that we have yet to fulfill the promise of emancipation; for that matter, we have yet to fulfill the ideals of a more perfect union, equal justice, domestic tranquility, general welfare and the blessings of liberty. But Juneteenth reminds us that, even when we can’t see the full arc of the moral universe, we feel it in our consciences and we are obligated to do our part to ensure that it bends toward justice.

For these reasons, today we’re having Aretha Franklin singing “Never Gonna Break My Faith.” This version was compiled and released for Juneteenth last year. Crank up the volume and really look at the videos.