Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and enforced the emancipation of enslaved people more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
In this episode, we examine why Juneteenth is more than a historical observance. We discuss the life of Peter Mills, one of the last verified Americans born into slavery, who died in Pittsburgh in 1972 after witnessing the Civil Rights Movement and the Moon landing. We also explore the distinction between de jure equality and de facto equality, the unfinished work of closing the gap between America’s ideals and its reality, and the troubling reality that slavery still exists in parts of the world today.
Finally, drawing on our work representing asylum seekers from Mauritania, we ask a difficult question: if slavery and slavery-like practices still exist, what responsibility do we bear toward those seeking refuge from them?
Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom won through struggle and sacrifice. It is also a reminder that the pursuit of liberty did not end in 1865.
Juneteenth is more than a historical holiday. From Peter Mills, who was born into slavery and died in 1972, to modern victims of slavery seeking asylum today, this episode explores why America’s promise of freedom remains an unfinished project.
