A New Jersey governor has officially designated June 19, or Juneteenth, a public holiday.
Keep scrolling to find out what he had to say...
Juneteenth is not celebrated enough in our country...
But, theres been a step forward...
The Black Lives Matter movement has taken over the world...
Racially motivated police brutality has been happening for centuries now...
Thousands upon thousands of people have been taking to the streets in protest...
Many protests turned violent...
Violent scuffles have broken out between police and far-right protesters staging a counter-protest to the Black Liv… https://t.co/tTD1IsPxJO— Andy Vermaut (@Andy Vermaut)1592058606.0
Remarkably, however, they seem to be working.
BLACK WOMEN MATTER. BLACK MEN MATTER. BLACK CHILDREN MATTER. BLACK FAMILIES MATTER. BLACK POSSIBILITIES MATTER.… https://t.co/y6dlDWKPN3— a gem (@a gem)1591104461.0
It has also taken over our streets...
Ahead of a planned protest this weekend, the road to the White House was painted with a giant "Black Lives Matter"… https://t.co/6M3H6ehuNs— David Luganda🇺🇬 (@David Luganda🇺🇬)1591398030.0
Protests have been happening across the pond too...
Hundreds of thousands of people have been taking to the streets in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.We are witnessing history in the making...
But what about what's already written in history books?
We're all well aware of the history America has with slavery...
But this didn't mean slavery was over.
This date became known as "Juneteenth."
Today, we commemorate Juneteenth. https://t.co/lf2H0wLayH— Muhammad Ali (@Muhammad Ali)1592577958.0
In Texas and across the country, emancipated African Americans began celebrating annually, with parades, concerts, and picnics.
And they carried themselves with the dignity that had been denied them and their forebears for 246 years.... Happy… https://t.co/h2nT1d4hle— Isabel Wilkerson (@Isabel Wilkerson)1592577392.0
However, by the time 1877 had come around, the federal government had largely abandoned the south.
It is so important for people of our country to be aware of these brutal occurrences...
Various images recognizing #Juneteenth flood social media timelines as Black Americans recognize their… https://t.co/XoR1kfI3wd— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan)1592578827.0
Even though Juneteenth is not a national holiday...
how is juneteenth celebrated today? https://t.co/4lQa3lpIfC— nancy (@nancy)1592580314.0
Activists continue to campaign for the United States Congress to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday...
Happy Juneteenth!! Image: Kids (1965) by Bob Lee https://t.co/Zg1KvFn9Uy— Christena Cleveland (@Christena Cleveland)1592582673.0
Hill is one of those who believes that Juneteenth should be celebrated on a wider level...
Juneteeth is all about the freedom of black people...
People like Karlos Hill are pressing for Juneteenth to be celebrated by everyone in America...
New Jersey governor Phil Murphy designated Juneteenth, as a state and public holiday in the state of New Jersey.
In a press release, governor Murphy said: "It gives me great pride to celebrate emancipation and New Jersey’s great diversity by designating Juneteenth as an official State holiday." said Governor Murphy. “Commemorating this date is just one component of our collective approach to end a generational cycle of pain and injustice that has gone on for far too long. Every Juneteenth, we will celebrate the end of the physical chains which once held Black Americans down. While more work lies ahead to undo the oppression that remains, Juneteenth is important marker that reminds us of our mission to create a society that enables our Black communities to achieve the full equality which they deserve."
Honored to be joined by @SZA and @FirstLadyNJ as I signed legislation making #Juneteenth an official State and publ… https://t.co/O8hwMs2fp2— Governor Phil Murphy (@Governor Phil Murphy)1599784215.0