Brown, Goldstein & Levy proudly celebrates Juneteenth, the oldest known commemoration of slavery’s end in the United States.
The Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863. But it would be years before all enslaved Americans won freedom. After the Confederate army surrendered, many enslavers retreated to Texas, the westernmost Confederate state. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers, many of whom were Black, arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. That day, 250,000 enslaved Black Americans claimed their freedom, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
Although slavery was not abolished nationwide until the 13th Amendment was ratified (the Emancipation Proclamation excluded border states), Juneteenth marks the day that freedom came to the last holdout Confederate state. It has long been celebrated by Black American communities, and its recognition as a federal holiday—one that educates Americans of all races and backgrounds on our nation’s history—is the result of tireless advocacy by Black leaders and activists.
Today, BGL honors the sacrifice and steadfastness of Black Americans who fought for the promise of freedom—including by sustaining the legacy of Juneteenth for nearly 160 years—and reaffirms its commitment to the pursuit of freedom and equality for all. We remain dedicated to the active pursuit of justice, with the belief that the work is never done. Learn more about Juneteenth here, here, and here.
We wish you a meaningful, joyous Juneteenth.
Founded in 1982, Brown Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, D.C. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, and criminal defense. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.