June is one of my favorite months of the year. The kids are out of school for summer break, barbecue grills are firing up, swimming pools are open, and the great outdoors is calling with everything from whitewater rafting to road trips along the Tennessee mountains. Last but not least, June marks the official start of summertime.
A couple of years ago, the month of June took on a much deeper meaning, not only for me and my family, but for the entire country. In 2021, June 19 was declared a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S.
It is a date that connects our nation to the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. President Abraham Lincoln issued a preliminary proclamation on Sept. 22, 1862, which stipulated that if the Southern states did not cease their rebellion to free enslaved people by Jan. 1, 1863, the proclamation would take effect.
However, it was not until June of 1865 that the order was delivered to Galveston, Texas, by General Gordon Granger. Texas would become the first state in the union to recognize June 19, aka Juneteenth, as a holiday in 1980. Today, all 50 states commemorate or observe Juneteenth as a day to celebrate freedom.
Freedom and liberty are now principles long synonymous with the United States of America. For centuries, these concepts have stood as beacons of hope for generations of immigrants from every corner of the globe. Many risked their lives and traded their roots for America’s promise, becoming hard-working citizens whose contributions helped make our country stronger, together.
Although we may not always agree and sometimes struggle with our differences, Juneteenth is a day to celebrate what we can all agree on — a love of freedom in the United States of America.
We encourage you and your family to come out and join us for a wonderful weekend of Juneteenth celebrations, beginning Saturday, June 17, in downtown Kingsport.
I am honored to serve as chair of the 2023 Juneteenth festivities. A proud employee of Eastman, I also serve as global chair of the Connect African American Eastman Resource Group (ERG).
It’s one of six ethnically and socially diverse ERGs at our company of 14,000 workers worldwide.
Eastman wants its efforts to promote a globally diverse workforce and inclusive work environment to extend to the communities it serves as well, by supporting events like Juneteenth. This year, Eastman is primary sponsor of festivities in partnership with the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce and other members of our business community. Together, we will honor and celebrate Juneteenth as a very important day in our nation’s history.
