June 19 — Juneteenth — marks the day in 1865 that the Union Army announced in Texas that the African American slaves were free. Black Americans since then have honored the day, even as it has gone unnoticed by many others. But in 2020, with protesters filling the streets over the death of George Floyd, what is there to celebrate? Jessica Millward, an associate professor of history at UCI, tells the UCI Podcast about the history behind Juneteenth, the decades upon decades of continued struggle, and the hope she feels in this moment.
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