The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, had already declared that the right of citizens to vote could not be denied because of race, color or previous condition of servitude. But between a constitutional promise and the lived reality of Black Americans stood nearly a century of organized resistance.

America at 250: The Promise Series America's story has never been a straight line. It is the story of a promise—spoken in Philadelphia in 1776, tested on battlefields, challenged in courtrooms, carried through marches, defended by ordinary citizens, and passed from one generation to the next. As our nation marks its 250th anniversary, this series revisits the people and moments that have shaped that promise—and asks what it means for America today.

This article explores the history of Juneteenth and the reasons it continues to resonate in public life today. It reflects on the value of remembrance, the importance of historical understanding, and the enduring relevance of freedom as both a milestone and a responsibility

Born into slavery in 1839 in Beaufort, South Carolina, Smalls entered the world with no legal rights, no claim to freedom, and no assurance that his voice would ever matter. Yet through courage, strategy, and unwavering determination, he would not only secure his own freedom—but help reshape a nation.

At a time when there are efforts to erase it, in 2026, the United States marks a significant milestone: 100 years since the first federal recognition of Black Americans through Negro History Week.

In 2021, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) launched a global news feature series on the history, contemporary realities, and implications of the transatlantic slave trade. Today, leadership in America is trying to erase this history. This is Part 5 in the series.

Since Trump’s election victory, leaders in business and education have rushed to show that they no longer have any political beliefs