Why Juneteenth Is a Uniquely American Holiday

Friday marks the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth, the day that slaves in Texas found out that they were freed due to President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Professor Lucas Morel, who is the head of the politics department at Washington and Lee University, joins the podcast to discuss the significance of this day, what all the Emancipation Proclamation accomplished, how he thinks it should be celebrated, and more. Listen to the podcast, or read the lightly edited transcript below. We also cover these stories: Senate Republicans introduced a police reform bill on Wednesday. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York had some critical words for Republican Sen. Tim Scott’s police reform bill which seeks to enact reform, accountability, and transparency within the police force. Texas Senator Ted Cruz is speaking out against Google’s treatment of The Federalist, a conservative media outlet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices