By: Dr. Karen Maldonado, Chief Program and Innovation Officer

The history, stories and contributions of Black, Latino and indigenous people in the United States are too often erased, ignored and minimized, despite the fact that our stories are foundational to our nation’s history. They are the stories of black and brown people that should be acknowledged, be celebrated, taught in our schools, captured in literature and passed down to future generations; yet, centuries go by and they remain hidden from our cultural conversations and consciousness.

Regrettably, it wasn’t until adulthood that I first learned about Juneteenth. I was a teacher in New York City at the time, and noticed that one of my colleagues had not been at work on June 19th. The following day I ran into him, and said, “Hey, I missed you yesterday, just want to make sure everything is okay.” With a smile on his face, he enthusiastically told me he chose not to come to work and instead celebrated Juneteenth to honor his ancestors and the liberation of his people – the right to freedom of our people.

He shared with me the history of Juneteenth; recounting how even after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln’s executive order declared all enslaved people in the states free, Black people in states like Texas continued to be enslaved and exploited for two additional years. It wasn’t until Major General Gordon Granger marched to Texas and declared enslaved people in the state free that slavery in the South became truly abolished. 

In those early years following this proclamation, Black people celebrated their liberation on June 19th. While I learned the history of slavery from my Puerto Rican parents and grandparents and possibly while reading a chapter in my history book in 8th grade, slavery’s existence and its grueling accounts was consistently glossed over. Thankfully, it is finally becoming part of our national consciousness, as Black leaders have fought for it to be recognized as a federal holiday. Late in the game, but duly noted.

Juneteenth is a reminder that our United States would not exist without Black people. It was the sweat, pain, labor, and bodies of Black people forcibly taken from their native land that built this country’s economy and so much of the infrastructure that props it up. Everyone in this country owes a debt of gratitude to Black people. However, people in this country consistently see Black bodies as disposable whenever there are shootings, racist attacks, and state sanctioned violence on Black communities. Juneteenth is an important reminder for all of us to celebrate Black people, to support Black entrepreneurs, businesses and workers, and to stand in solidarity with Black people in their fight for justice, liberation and joy.

As a puertorriqueña, Juneteenth is also a reminder of Puerto Rico’s own history with slavery. It is not lost on me that the land I love and call home was also built and profited off of the enslavement of Black and indigenous people. First, the Taíno people, native to the Carribeans, were forcibly enslaved by the Spaniards to produce food and increase the wealth of Spain. Many Tainos died from diseases as Spaniards continued to invade their land. As the number of Tainos on the island decreased, the Spaniards turned to the enslavement of Black people who arrived in chains from the Gold Coast, Nigeria, and Dahomey. It was not until 1873 that slavery was abolished in Puerto Rico, but the legacy of slavery continues to show up as economic and social divisions on the island are rooted in the oppression of Black and indigenous bodies.

It should not take a federal holiday for us to recognize, celebrate and support Black people nor to recognize the humanity of Black and indigenous people. Juneteenth is an opportunity to counter the history of erasure and mistreatment Black people experience in this country, and instead share black stories, celebrate black joy, and take concrete actions to support justice and liberation of Black people. I’m excited to commemorate June 19th and acknowledge the beauty, existence, and intelligence, and contributions of Black people in our country and around the globe.

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Karen Maldonado serves as Chief Program and Innovation Officer (CPIO) for Latinos for Education. In this role, she directs and guides the overall vision, strategy, design, and evolution of all program areas nationally—and provides leadership around K-16 partnerships, fundraising, budget-setting, and organizational strategy. Prior to serving as CPIO, Karen was Director of Education Reform for the Financial Oversight and Management Board of Puerto Rico (FOMB). She is a graduate of the inaugural cohort of Harvard’s Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) program, Fordham University (MS), City of New York at Hunter College (MA) and the State University of New York at Binghamton University (BA).