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The Good Good Good office is closed today to commemorate Juneteenth, but we prepared this bonus Goodnewsletter filled with good news, resources, and ways we can all thoughtfully join in celebrating.
Celebrating juneteenth
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Juneteenth celebrates freedom from slavery — and it recognizes the Black struggle for education
Prior to the enactment of the 13th Amendment in 1865 — and the origin of the Juneteenth holiday two years later — anti-literacy laws in southern states across the U.S. continued to impact formerly enslaved people.
While responses to their newfound freedom varied, a primary goal of newly freed people was to receive an education. They gathered in churches, homes, cellars, sheds, and more to learn how to read and write.
About 90% of the Black population in Southern states were illiterate in 1865 — that percentage dropped to 70% by 1880. In the 15 years following the Civil War, a total of 59 HBCUs had opened their doors to Black students.
Juneteenth is a celebration of that progress — and the continued struggle for true freedom and equality.
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