Juneteenth’s origin dates back to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, learning that they had been emancipated, close to two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had formally been put into place. While Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery, this holiday has not been recognized nationally until recent. Many may just be learning the significance of this holiday. Several work places and law firms plan on making Juneteenth a paid and permanent holiday, including: Latham & Watkins, Morrison & Foerster, and Debevoise & Plimpton; to name a few. While this holiday becomes more mainstream it is important to recognize Juneteenth’s place in American history and to reflect on the long struggle for equal rights.
Pro Bono Net is grateful to Treshauxn Dennis-Brown, AmeriCorps Vista working with our Immigration Advocates Network program, for writing this important piece highlighting what Juneteenth means for him.
This upcoming Saturday marks the national observance of Juneteenth. Traditionally celebrated by African-Americans annually on June 19th and originating in Galveston, Texas, Juneteenth commemorates the very first celebration of emancipation, signifying the end of slavery in Texas, following General Order No. 3 by Union Army general Gordon Granger.¹ Although at first embraced solely by African American communities, Juneteenth has gained traction among mainstream outlets in recent years, garnering state and local recognition across the country, especially as the country comes to grips with a legacy of racial tension. But who is Juneteenth for? Juneteenth can be said to be a holiday celebrating Black liberation, but it is important to remember that many heritages simultaneously reside under the blanket term “Black.”
I am a proud first generation American with heritage deeply entrenched in the Caribbean, boasting primarily Jamaican but also Trinidadian lineages. As such, I sometimes feel as though my plight is somewhat divorced from that of Black/African-Americans, as I cannot lay claim to the legacy of American Chattel Slavery in the same way. Instead, I hail from islands that were colonized by the Spanish and British, each nevertheless saturated with their own horrors, commensurate with the reputation of being sugar colonies in the Colonial Era. Is Juneteenth just for the African-American whose lineage could (or more realistically, could not) be traced back to American slaves who picked cotton in the South, or can other non American Black diasporic heritages be included as an act of solidarity with regards to the common tragic threads in their histories?
While this mainly materializes as an internal thought exercise, the reality remains that of course, despite identifying as a first generation Caribbean-American, son, nephew, grandson to family who immigrated here in the 90s, I and my family are easily welcomed to the fold of Juneteenth celebrations. The ease with which this happens is possible due to the shared connection of the pigmentation of our skin. The fact remains that despite ancestral differences, the plight of Black people, regardless of immigration or residency status, in the United States is almost universally dismal: Black people retain the lowest median income, are currently enjoying the lowest rate of black homeownership since the 1960s, and are disproportionately stopped, arrested, or fatally killed by the police.²³⁴ The statistics prove that diasporic nuances mean nothing in the face of, well, a Black face.
While this might seem the grimmest of ways to endear oneself to a holiday, I am nevertheless excited to have my first day off in my professional career for Juneteenth. The intellectual divide over whom Juneteenth belongs to will hopefully fade over time as Juneteenth continues to attract interest in the mainstream. Soon the question will not be whether Juneteenth is just a “Black holiday,” as Americans as a whole continue to embrace it as a holiday along the stalwarts of Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and the like.
¹Henry Louis Gates Jr., “What Is Juneteenth? African American History Blog,” PBS (Public Broadcasting Service, September 19, 2013), https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/what-is-juneteenth/.
²Valerie Wilson, “Racial Disparities in Income and Poverty Remain Largely Unchanged amid Strong Income Growth in 2019,” Economic Policy Institute, accessed June 15, 2021, https://www.epi.org/blog/racial-disparities-in-income-and-poverty-remain-largely-unchanged-amid-strong-income-growth-in-2019/.
³Jacob Passy, “Black Homeownership Rate Hits Lowest Level since the 1960s – That’s Unlikely to Change in Pandemic Year 2,” MarketWatch (MarketWatch, March 11, 2021), https://www.marketwatch.com/story/most-black-americans-arent-homeowners-how-can-we-change-that-11615431459.
⁴“Criminal Justice Fact Sheet,” NAACP, May 24, 2021, https://naacp.org/resources/criminal-justice-fact-sheet.
Pro Bono Net, with funding from the New York Office of Attorney General, is pleased to announce the official launch of 
Plain language guides for tenants and the general public, developed in collaboration with grantees under the OAG initiative; 
With nearly 150 site members and a rich collection of legal materials, the ProBonoNet/LA site is a well-used resource for attorneys and advocates across Louisiana. This meant that any site redesign effort had to make both the users’ needs and the visibility of the resources first and foremost. “Getting the most out of a site redesign meant understanding the ‘most valuable features’ of the existing site, and thinking strategically about enabling new features that foster a sense of community and purpose” said Amanda Brown, director of the Lagniappe Law Lab. “In our design working group we found that featuring the most-used site tools prominently in the design was key to our users getting the most out of the site. We also used this opportunity to highlight important features that were not used as commonly, but are critical to building up a culture of pro bono in Louisiana.” 
Tiffany Graves serves as Bradley’s Pro Bono Counsel, where she oversees the development and administration of the firm’s pro bono programs. Tiffany says, “I have long admired the work of Pro Bono Net. As Pro Bono Counsel, my full-time work is focused on finding ways to connect our attorneys with those most in need. Like other law firms, we benefit from the crucial services provided by Pro Bono Net that increase access to attorneys and equalize the legal system. I am excited to serve on the Board and look forward to supporting Pro Bono Net’s important work in this way.” Prior to joining Bradley, Tiffany was the executive director of the Mississippi Access to Justice Commission, where she led a 21-member commission created by the Mississippi Supreme Court and promoted its initiatives to improve and expand access to civil justice to the nearly 700,000 Mississippians living in poverty. Tiffany also currently serves as Co-President of the Association of Pro Bono Counsel (APBCo). 
Charley Moore, is the Founder and CEO of Rocket Lawyer. Rocket Lawyer is one of the most widely used legal services in the world, with operations in the US, the UK and Europe. Millions of people and organizations use Rocket Lawyer to access affordable and complete digital legal services. Charley says, “I look forward to serving on the board and helping to facilitate much needed assistance to people and organizations who otherwise may find justice out of reach.”
Through Legal Aid Connect, Legal Aid of Nebraska can connect clients and pro bono attorneys, no matter where the client lives in the State. The attorneys meet virtually with their clients and simultaneously share, store, and complete documents during a consultation. This resource is particularly valuable during the ongoing pandemic. “The acquisition of Legal Aid Connect has helped us bridge the communication gap, caused by the pandemic, between attorneys and clients,” said Muirne Heaney, Managing Attorney of the Access to Justice Program at Legal Aid of Nebraska. “We already have used the platform for two name change clinics. The platform ran seamlessly. We were able to help many people with the name change process because of the platform. The platform has become an essential tool for communicating with clients.” 
Pro Bono Net is grateful to Jillian Jin, AmeriCorps Vista working with our Immigration Advocates Network program, for writing this important piece addressing the recent hate crimes committed against the Asian American community. You can read Jillian’s bio on our website, 
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