The IATSE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee recognizes Juneteenth as a day of celebration, jubilation, and liberation. On June 19, 1865 enslaved African people in Galveston, TX were made aware of their freedom by these words:

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”

The story of Juneteenth is intertwined with the American labor story. Newly emancipated African Americans became wage workers that faced a new dilemma of receiving a fair day of pay for a fair day of work. African Americans formed the Colored National Labor Union (“Colored” given by press at the time) in 1869 as a solution to being excluded from the founding of the National Labor Union. African Americans have been principal actors in the American labor story since the inception of unified labor forces in America.

The first “Jubilee Day” celebration on June 19, 1866 was funded exclusively by newly emancipated working people that earned enough excess money to fund a celebration of their liberation. In 1872, through resilience and determination, a group of workers in Houston pooled funds to purchase a 10-acre plot of land to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. The park, known as Emancipation Park, was originally solely used for Juneteenth celebrations as the owners lacked funds to keep the park open year-round. The work that many of these workers found was in trades represented by labor unions, starting the path for freed men and women to eventually join the ranks of union workers.

The IATSE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee encourages everyone to have informative conversations and seek out resources to gain a greater understanding of the historical significance of Juneteenth. Please join us in celebrating Juneteenth with a spirit of jubilation.

In Solidarity,

IATSE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee