Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania

To fathers (and fatherly figures) everywhere, thank you for all you do! You are loved today and every day. #HappyFathersDay

For the first time in the nation’s history, we celebrate #Juneteenth as a federal holiday. However, it is more than a celebrationit is a time for education and reflection. On June 19, 1865, the last enslaved Americans in the Confederate States were freedmore than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Slavery was still legal in the United States until December 6, 1865, when ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution abolished chattel slavery nationwide. Juneteenth, historically known as Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day and Emancipation Day, originated in Texas and has been celebrated since 1866. #NeverForget