More than 160 years after the freedom revolution that’s become known as Juneteenth, one of the ways you can honor June 19th is to support the educators making freedom real in every classroom across America.

On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that was already two and a half years overdue: enslaved people were free. Enslavers had deliberately buried that truth for 900 days. The nation then waited another 156 years before Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, a victory owed in no small part to Opal Lee, a retired school teacher who began marching for its recognition at age 89.

Legal freedom has always required leaders willing to make it real. That work remains urgent. It is happening right now, in schools and systems across America, led by educators and administrators of color who show up every day to close the gap between what was promised and what children actually receive.

While research shows that Black students are significantly more likely to graduate when they’ve had at least one Black teacher in elementary school, Black educators comprise only 7% of the national teaching workforce and fewer than 4% of superintendent positions.

At Surge Institute, we’re closing that gap in measurable, irreversible ways. Across Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Oakland, Las Vegas, and beyond, Surge develops, advances, and connects hundreds of leaders of color, building the pipelines and systems that transform outcomes for Black and Brown children. When you invest in Surge, you invest in those outcomes.

Shop and Save on This Special Occasion
Support Surge’s mission and pick out some swag in the process. Shop our online store and enjoy a Juneteenth discount. Enter coupon code JUNETEENTH26 at checkout for 25% off your total purchase.

Test Your Juneteenth Knowledge
The Surge Juneteenth Trivia experience spans five questions covering history, law, trailblazing leaders, and the Surge mission. See if you can answer all of them correctly.