In observance of Juneteenth, ABET headquarters operations will be closed on Friday, June 18. Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) is the commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S.
Although the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the U.S., was issued by President Abraham Lincoln in January of 1863, it took much longer for news of his order to spread. June 19, 1865, marks the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with the news that the Civil War had ended and the slaves were free. Also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, it has since become the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the emancipation of slavery in the U.S.
“As we observe Juneteenth, we pause and reflect on its significance as an important milestone in American history,” ABET Executive Director and CEO Michael K.J. Milligan said. “It symbolizes the long, hard struggle for equality and freedom for all Americans. We will use this important opportunity to learn, cherish freedom and celebrate Black history.”
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