Today marks the 155th Anniversary of Juneteenth! This day commemorates the day that the last slaves in the United States learned about their freedom. On June 19th, 1865 soldiers arrived in Texas to announce that the slaves were free. This occurred over 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 was signed. African American’s in Texas did not know about this executive order because they were not informed by the federal troops. Today signifies a pivotal moment in American history. Today, Juneteenth symbolizes African American emancipation, education and advancement. In our current COVID-19 pandemic, there are dialogues happening across the internet that showcase black history and culture.
As AMPLIFY! we are dedicated to persevering the health and legacies of the Black community. Our mission is to end commercial tobacco use as well as address the social and economic injustice issues they create. The tobacco industry has a longstanding history of scaling pernicious marketing efforts towards communities of color. This targeting increases product use amongst African Americans and in turn creates a disproportionate burden of disease. Smoking results in adverse health outcomes and impacts forthcoming generations. Juneteenth is a day of celebration in which we empower and encourage our community to take control of their lives by choosing to stop smoking and vaping.
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