Texas Health employees across the system celebrated Juneteenth with prayer, history lectures, special menus and other observances.
The organization is recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday for the first time this year, observing it on June 20 because the 19th is a Sunday.
June 19 commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved Black people in Texas learned that they were free. Although the Emancipation Proclamation declared all slaves in the rebelling states free Jan. 1, 1863, it took more than two years for this news to spread throughout Texas.
For any employees who couldn’t attend an observance in person, the System Services Diversity Action Team put together a virtual celebration on Teams.
Here is a recording of the event, which included Black history information and a Christian prayer by Elizabeth Watson-Martin, vice president, Faith & Spirituality.
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