By Brandy W. Walt-Rose, Editing Coordinator, The Humane Herald
June 19th, 1865 marked the day when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas and finally delivered the news of emancipation – more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had officially outlawed slavery in Confederate states. The newly freed Black Americans began to celebrate what would become known as Juneteenth, a jubilant commemoration of freedom and the end of legalized slavery in the United States.
Today, Juneteenth is both a celebration and a call to consciousness. It honors the strength and resilience of Black communities who survived – and continue to survive – systems designed to exploit and erase. It reminds us of the ongoing struggle for justice in a nation still wrestling with the legacies of slavery, white supremacy, and institutional racism.
At The Humane Herald, we join in this remembrance and reflection. The Humane Party’s platform is rooted in the belief that no being – human or nonhuman – should be treated as property, denied autonomy, or excluded from the moral community. The fight for Black liberation is inseparable from our broader commitment to dismantling all systems of exploitation.
We reject the false narrative that paints progress as linear or inevitable. As recent years have shown, hard-won rights can be stripped away, truth can be buried beneath disinformation, and violence – both physical and systemic – continues to target marginalized communities. But we also know this: people working in solidarity, with clear vision and shared purpose, have always been the force behind real change.
Juneteenth calls on us not only to remember but to act. To advocate for policies that repair harm. To amplify Black voices, stories, and leadership. To educate ourselves and our communities on the past and present of racial injustice. And to ensure that our vision for a truly humane future includes everyone – not just in word, but in practice.
Freedom delayed is freedom denied. Let us mark this Juneteenth not with passive celebration but with active resolve.
The Humane Herald 