The Committee on Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, on behalf of the Eastern Cardiothoracic Surgical Society would like to observe with all Americans the holiday of Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day and Emancipation Day. This day commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Army General Gordon Granger announced in Galveston, TX that the Civil War had ended and the enslaved were free, notably 2.5 years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The announcement ultimately freed over 250,000 enslaved Americans across Texas.

We appreciate Juneteenth as an opportunity to celebrate Black history and culture and to respect and support the ongoing fight for civil rights and equality. With increased awareness and establishment as a Federal holiday, this represents a time to commemorate what has been accomplished and to recognize the work that lies before us to eliminate bias and inequity in our field, institutions, health system and Society.