June 18, 2024 / Uncategorized
Observing Juneteenth
Weinstock Manion will be closed on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in observance of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth is a national day of celebration memorializing the end of slavery in the United States. It was on June 19, 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery — more than two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This shameful history, often referred to as the “original sin” of the United States, ended 165 years ago, but the nation continues to grapple with issues of racism and racial injustice. While June 19th is a date to celebrate freedom, it is a day we reflect on how far we have to go to fully realize that promise. And though the issues we grapple with as a country are not new, the wave of energy toward change we are witnessing throughout Southern California, across the United States, and around the world, signals a cautious hope for a better future.
During these unprecedented times in which African-Americans find themselves having to assert their humanity in the midst of a global health crisis, the shareholders of Weinstock Manion have decided to close our offices for Juneteenth to reflect, get educated, listen, respect, and consider a positive plan of action. Perhaps some of us will use this as an opportunity to pause from our daily routine in favor of community and remembrance. Or maybe others will use the day as an occasion for learning and reflection on the long and deep wounds of racism that have endured. Or we can also consider what work remains to be done in order to ensure that discrimination and injustice are eliminated in our society.