Best Of Social Media: The Patriots Commemorate Juneteenth Holiday

Robert Alvarez

3 years ago at 8:50 pm ET

David Butler II - USA TODAY Sports

On Friday, the New England Patriots joined other NFL teams and players to remember and celebrate the emancipation of slaves in the Confederate States following the end of the Civil War in America.

Given recent civil unrest and protests for African American equality the Patriots chose to publicly recognize the holiday for the first time.

As of 2020, Juneteenth is not a federal holiday but is now observed by 47 of 50 states.

Gillette Stadium and the Patriots closed their doors in observance of the holiday Friday and encouraged all employees to read, reflect, listen and learn to better understand the historical significance of Juneteenth.

You can view the Patriots full statement in the tweet below.

We've never posted about Juneteenth, but it is always the right time to do better than before.

Today is a reflection of freedom, a day to celebrate and educate. pic.twitter.com/BOsLIEdwc5

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) June 19, 2020

Multiple current and retired members of the Patriots shared their own posts over social media honoring the holiday.

View this post on Instagram

Happy Juneteenth!!! Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation – which had become official January 1, 1863.

A post shared by Jason+Devin McCourty (@mccourtytwins) on Jun 19, 2020 at 9:18am PDT