June 21st 2023.
This year, on the historic day of Juneteenth, Black people from around the nation gathered in Washington D.C. to view the original Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. This document, which set slaves in the South free after the Civil War, is normally kept in a climate-controlled vault in order to preserve it. This year, however, the National Archives made the rare decision to place the Emancipation Proclamation on permanent display alongside the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
This moment was made even more significant after President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, making it a federal holiday. As Colleen Shogan, archivist of the United States, stated, “Together, they tell a more comprehensive story of the history of all Americans and document progress in our nation’s continuous growth toward a more perfect union.”
Families who visited the Archives took the time to explain why seeing the Proclamation on Juneteenth was so important. Beth Short, a visitor, said, “There have been struggles of equality and continued struggles that are present, and it’s connected. If we don’t have those conversations, we’re just going to repeat them.” Garrett Osumah, who is raising three Black boys, emphasized the importance of educating them about racism in America. He said, “They need to understand that these things happened in the world and it’s not just back in the 1800s. These types of things are happening now.”
This Juneteenth, the National Archives allowed the nation to witness a powerful moment in history. The Emancipation Proclamation, which is now on permanent display, serves as a reminder that progress is possible, and that we must continue to strive for a more perfect union.
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