Stephen Burrell

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Juneteenth

On June 19, 1865, enslaved African Americans in Texas were told they were free. Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, observed annually on June 19. It is also known as: Black Independence Day, Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day.


Human beings throughout history have used racism to elevate certain groups of people over others. There are laws, such as the Equality Act, that prohibit racism and protect certain groups from discrimination. These laws exist because society has been structured in a way that historically favoured white men, placing them at the top and everyone else beneath them. To counteract this historical imbalance, the law aims to protect marginalised groups (e.g., women, minorities, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals) from discrimination. These categories are protected because they have historically faced discrimination. However, there is no law that mandates organisations to hire people from marginalised backgrounds.