Michelle Obama shares what Juneteenth means to her

Today marks an important day in history. On June 19th, 1865 (known now as ‘Juneteenth’), federal orders proclaimed the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved African-Americans in the American Confederacy⁠. As a celebration of the freedom of Black people, the day serves as an important reminder that the fight for equality is far from over, and celebrities are taking to their social media platforms to remind us, as well. Former First Lady and national treasure (international treasure?), Michelle Obama, took to Twitter Friday to tell her followers what the day means to her. As usual, her words were eloquent, and began by paying tribute to the history of the continued movement. “Most of us were taught that slavery came to an end when President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. But as is so often the case, the full promise of this country was delayed for segments of the African-American community. And for enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, freedom didn’t come until June 19th, 1865.”

Here's what #Juneteenth means to me: pic.twitter.com/KlOoYwdzD5

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) June 19, 2020

Continuing on, Michelle explained, “What I love about Juneteenth is that even in that extended wait, we still find something to celebrate. Even though the story ha never been tidy, and Black folks have had to march and fight for every inch of our freedom, our story is nonetheless one of progress.” Michelle shared that she can’t help but think of her own family through this lens, recognizing that both her grandfathers were the grandchildren of enslaved people, growing up in the Jim Crow South and later migrating north for a better life. “But then they pressed forward with dignity and with purpose, raising good kids, contributing to their communities, and voting in every election,” she went on. “And even though they didn’t live to see it themselves, I can see the smiles on their faces knowing that their great-granddaughters end up playing ball in the halls of the White House — a magnificent structure built by enslaved Americans.” The ‘Becoming’ author then followed up her tweet with another, asking her followers to join her in the pledge to use our voices — and our votes — to keep marching towards freedom.

This #Juneteenth, let’s all pledge to keep using our voices—and our votes—to keep marching toward freedom.pic.twitter.com/I510X0HCKe

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) June 19, 2020

[video_embed id='1765375']RELATED: Viola Davis cast as Michelle Obama.[/video_embed] Obama, of course, chimed in as well. In his tweet, the POTUS linked to an article titled ‘Why Juneteenth Matters,’ and explained that Juneteenth “has never been a celebration of victory, or an acceptance of the way things are. It's a celebration of progress. It's an affirmation that despite the most painful parts of our history, change is possible––and there is still so much work to do.”

Juneteenth has never been a celebration of victory, or an acceptance of the way things are. It's a celebration of progress. It's an affirmation that despite the most painful parts of our history, change is possible––and there is still so much work to do.https://t.co/5XCRdnk3iR

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 19, 2020

The Obama family joins the likes of many other political figures and celebrities who have taken to social media today to vocalize the importance of the day; many of whom noted that it should be deemed a national holiday. Actress Lupita Nyong’o shared her thoughts with her Twitter followers. “Public holidays indicate the moments in history that are important to a nation and the values they hold dear. Recognizing #Juneteenth nationally would be one more way to acknowledge the intrinsic value of Black people and their history to the wealth and prosperity of the USA.”

2. Public holidays indicate the moments in history that are important to a nation and the values they hold dear. Recognizing #Juneteenth nationally would be one more way to acknowledge the intrinsic value of Black people and their history to the wealth and prosperity of the USA.

— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) June 19, 2020

Earlier this week, Pharrell Williams spoke at a press conference in support of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s call to make June 19th, an official state holiday commemorating the end of slavery. The musician told the audience, “This is our chance to lead, to truly embrace the importance of Juneteenth and treat it as a celebration of freedom that black people deserve.” Selena Gomez, who has been using her platform to amplify black voices over the past two weeks, shared a heartfelt message yesterday, thanking the black community for their knowledge, eagerness to teach and commitment to ensuring Black voices are not silenced and urged all to mark Juneteenth. "Please take the day to have conversations with your family and friends about the importance of Black Lives Matter and how we all need to join together to ensure equality and justice and then continue these conversations every day!

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I want to thank all of the amazing people that took the time to speak to us directly. I am blown away with your knowledge, eagerness to teach and commitment to ensuring Black voices are not silenced. Educating ourselves is the first step if we hope to make any progress in bringing an end to systemic racism. As much as one might want to believe things have gotten better we cannot deny any longer that they have not. We need to acknowledge that social, political and economic discrimination against Black communities continues to exist. There is a deep pain that needs to be healed. Unless this is recognized history will continue to repeat itself over and over. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Tomorrow is Juneteenth which commemorates the day slaves in Texas were told they were free on June 19th 1865. To learn more of the history and the movement to make it a national holiday read The article in my bio. Please take the day to have conversations with your family and friends about the importance of Black Lives Matter and how we all need to join together to ensure equality and justice and then continue these conversations every day!⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Everyone needs to have their voices heard and we can do that by VOTING! We will not let voter suppression stop us! Check out @whenweallvote to get registered and find other helpful resources.⠀ ⠀ ⠀ It’s not lost on me how fortunate I am to have this platform and appreciate you all for taking the time to watch, listen and take in the powerful messages and information we’ve been provided over the last two weeks by some of the most inspiring people I’ve come across in my life. If you missed any of these incredible IG stories they are all saved in my Story Highlights under #BLM and #BLM2. This is just the beginning and we will continue to hear from other Black voices and as well as other marginalized communities I am committed to doing the work and I hope you join me.

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on Jun 18, 2020 at 5:26pm PDT

[video_embed id='1980942']BEFORE YOU GO: Jennifer Lawrence makes public Twitter account to raise awareness for racial injustice.[/video_embed]