June 19, 1865 – Juneteenth –  the commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. 

Did you know that after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing enslaved Black people, it took 2 and a half years for the final enslaved people to be freed in Galveston, TX? Accounts differ as to why there was a delay, but two theories are that slave owners either deliberately kept it a secret or the messenger that was supposed to deliver the news was murdered on his way to relay the message.

During times like this where the Black Lives Matter Movement is on the rise as a direct response to police brutality and a fight for freedom from oppression and injustice, there’s a new spotlight on celebrating Juneteenth. Although it’s not an official national holiday yet, brands such as Twitter, Nike, and Target alike are making it a company-wide holiday with the promise to celebrate it from here on out. We’re doing the same at Mented. Being a Black Women-Owned company centered on catering to women of color, we truly believe we’re our ancestors' wildest dreams. 

It’s a day that we should all take to educate ourselves on the contributions of Black people in America and celebrate Black culture in all of its beauty.

As the team takes this day off we intend on joining conversations online with the hashtag #Juneteenth. We also plan on following and supporting even more Black creators, brands, and share Black Stories. We encourage our Mented Fam to do the same!

Happy Juneteenth!