06/19/2025
Today, we honor Juneteenth—also known as Freedom Day—the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to bring word to the last remaining enslaved people that they were finally free. Juneteenth is a powerful reminder of resilience, justice delayed, and the enduring fight for Black liberation.
As an African American/Black-owned funeral home, Stradford Home for Funerals and Cremations takes this day to also reflect on the countless lives lost during the Transatlantic Slave Trade—millions of souls taken and never given the dignity of a proper burial. We remember the unnamed, the unburied, the forgotten, and the forsaken. We hold space today for their memory and lift them in reverence.
We also recognize the vital role African American/Black funeral home directors have played throughout history. During segregation, African American/Black funeral homes were not only sacred spaces for dignified homegoings but also hubs for community organizing, civil rights leadership, and cultural preservation. Funeral directors have long served as trusted stewards of our grief, our legacy, and our liberation story.
On this Juneteenth, we renew our commitment to serve with dignity, compassion, and cultural reverence. We honor those who came before us by ensuring every life is remembered with the care and ceremony they deserve.
In memory. In freedom. In dignity.
— Stradford Home for Funerals and Cremations
