June 19th, 2020—Juneteenth

Posted by: Dayne Gradone, with support from the Run Local Staff

We believe that Run Local is a way of life that goes beyond the run.  It’s about supporting causes, people, and our community. The celebration of Juneteenth is an essential part of that mission. We’d like to bring attention to this momentous and meaningful day and share resources that both inform and pay homage to this important holiday.

A Powerful Moment in Black History

Juneteenth is an annual celebration of Black culture and pride that commemorates the end of slavery in America. June 19th, 1865 marks the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas and Union army general Gordon Granger announced that all of the state’s  250,000 slaves were henceforth free,  two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. Within six months, the 13th Amendment was adopted and slavery was formally abolished in the United States. However, landowners and local officials continued to flout the orders and used violence to intimidate newly freed slaves. Despite all of this, newly freed men and women continued to observe the end of slavery and independence on this date, and turned this important moment into a day of celebration and pride. Today, Juneteenth continues these celebrations and recognizes an historic moment in the continued fight for social justice and equality.

But enough from us.

The team at The Root has put together a short video that explains the background & significance of Juneteenth that is a much watch:

Curious for more content? Interested in taking a deeper dive? Listen to therapist and trauma specialist Resmaa Menakem, as he talks about activating the wisdom of elders and a very new science and illuminates how all of us carry the history and traumas behind everything we collapse into the word “race” in our bodies.

Donate 

Thank you to our participants who have supported two causes that are uplifting our communities in fundamental ways – No Kid Hungry and Campaign Zero’s #8CantWait initiative

If you haven’t donated yet, are interested in providing an additional contribution or want to learn more about these causes, please consider visiting our donate page.

 

                                                                               

 

Act 

Finding up to date information on local Black Lives Matter & social justice events has been a challenge in many locations. If you have additional community resources we encourage you to share them on your platforms and tag us. We appreciate it!

If you live in the Bay Area and are looking to get involved with local marches, protests and community events, visit Indybay’s calendar of upcoming gatherings and workshops here

Thank You 

We appreciate you taking the time to read this post and exploring the additional resources above. And of course, we encourage you to continue learning.  Together, through running & walking, we are a COMMUNITY of MOVEMENT, both in the physical & social sense. We are humbled by our community’s commitment to social justice & change. Thank you

Juneteenth Celebration-June 19th,1900, Texas