Athletes are amplifying their voices on Juneteenth. The occasion celebrates the day the last enslaved African Americans were informed of their freedom. That occurred in Galveston Bay, Texas, on June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
On Friday, a number of athletes, teams and professional leagues expressed their thoughts about Juneteenth. Some took the day as an opportunity to celebrate Black liberation, others used their platform to educate people and push for Juneteenth to become a national holiday.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was in the latter group. He asked why Juneteenth was not a national holiday in an Instagram post, and urged his fans to stay woke.