Happy Juneteenth! Throwback Photos That Prove Black Folks Have Always Been LIT

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Happy almost Juneteenth , y’all! To honor the holiday, we curated a special gallery of photos that prove Black folks been poppin’ forever, ever. Read about how Juneteenth came to be, how Black people continue pushing culture and check out photos of the community keeping it cool inside.

Every year, Black people all over the nation come together to celebrate our true Independence Day. Formally, the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves living in the confederate states in 1863. But, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865 that Union army general Gordon Granger arrived in Texas with the news, stating all slaves living in the rebel states were free. Yes, you read that right. Two whole years later.

Black people continue jumping over hurdles to be valued. Our stories and our history are constantly being threatened with book bans and erasure, gentrification, wage gaps and so forth. Now more than ever, Black folks must honro our deep history and celebrate rich culture. To kick things off, we thought we’d gather some throwback photos that show we’ve always been dopest. No matter what the scene is, we bring the style, the class, and the fun.

Happy Juneteenth, family!

Check out some vintage photos below: