The Imagine Institute recognizes Juneteenth as a federal holiday

In 2020, the Imagine Institute’s leadership and staff joined the national movement supporting the recognition of the Juneteenth holiday as a vital celebration to the nation’s true independence, as many of our nation’s citizen, specifically African Americans, were exempt from freedom’s granted during the original liberation of the United States from the British Empire.

The following year, the Imagine Institute was proud to witness the state of Washington join other states in recognizing Juneteenth as a statewide holiday and to see Juneteenth recognized as a federal holiday shortly after.

Read our 2021 Juneteenth post

Why is it important to celebrate Juneteenth?

Recent efforts to distance ourselves from our history prevent the ability to learn from our past and to reconcile the difficult truths we as citizens must acknowledge about our shared legacies. Histories that are hidden are often repeated. 

“Honoring the legacy of Juneteenth for instance, acknowledges that the celebration of American independence is hollow as it does not include African Americans and/or descendant of chattel slavery.” -Amelia Vassar, Sr. Director of Equity and Evaluation at the Imagine Institute

LEARN MORE & LOCAL CELEBRATIONS

Learn more about the history of Juneteenth at Juneteenth.com. 

Celebrating in the Seattle area this year? Check out this guide to local celebrations and activities!