Juneteenth Letter from South Atlantic and Gulf Coast District President Alan Robb

June 19, 2020 has more national and global impact than any prior time, as more and more people come to the realization of the meaning of the celebration of freedom. It was June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, that Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was announced for the first time to the people of Texas. That announcement, that day by the United States military, was two and half years after the declaration of freedom by President Lincoln.

While celebrated in Texas for generations, it has taken on a wider recognition as a commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Today, at a time of anguish and anxiety over so much– systematic racism, the pandemic, the economy, political environment, and more– we pause to reflect on and celebrate freedom! And, particularly and most importantly, of course, the ending of slavery in the United States. It is an opportunity to look back on the sins of our country, attempts to mend those sins, and the awareness that in 2020 we have so much more to do. It is imperative that we, the ILA, together, do not let the current national momentum for change pass without each and every one of us pledging to do our part to fulfill the command: “All men (and women) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

God save the United States of America and the ILA.

Fraternally,

Alan A. Robb

For more information regarding Juneteenth
Juneteenth World Wide Celebration