BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Karen Britt is a professor of business at Northampton Community College, and the founder of Juneteenth Lehigh Valley.
The nonprofit group celebrates the June 19, 1865, anniversary of Union troops arriving in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation.
Britt said she founded Juneteenth Lehigh Valley as a way to share "authentic American history" — both the good parts and the bad parts.
She sees celebrating the holiday as a way to build community, learn from the nation's collective past, and celebrate the contributions of Black Americans to the U.S. and its history.
Voices of Leadership is a digital and audio project of LehighValleyNews.com during Black History Month.