Celebrity News June 19, 2025
Sterling K. Brown Reflects on Juneteenth, Says America Can Learn ‘Grace’ & Inclusivity
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Stars from Robin Roberts to Sterling K. Brown are grateful the nation is honoring Juneteenth, the celebration of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.
President Lincoln signed a proclamation in 1863 abolishing slavery, but it took another two years on June 19, 1865, before slaves in Galveston, Texas, learned they, too, were free at last.
Robin told “Extra,” “I'm so happy that people are now recognizing it along with other milestones that we have in this great country of ours.”
She added, “It means so much to me, in fact, I have a film that's coming out ‘A King Like Me,’ and it's about the Zulu parade down in New Orleans, and so I'm glad that that's going to be launching on Juneteenth.”
Sterling explained, “I think America is still trying to come to grips with the fact that they created and perpetrated a great wrong.”
Looking to the future, he said, “You can learn grace, you can learn that now that we're here, now that we're all free maybe we should try to find a place where everybody feels at home and welcome and appreciated and learn to work together to make the country as best as possible.”
Phaedra Parks also shared, “There are some definitely dark moments as well as bright ones, but the dark ones definitely have to be discussed.”
Tia Mowry said it is about “celebrating our essence, celebrating our story, celebrating our journey, celebrating where we are now with gratitude.”
Kirk Franklin told “Extra,” “I hope that we continue to understand these pivotal moments in history and what they mean to us and to continue to deconstruct them, but also give power and light to what they mean and the gravity of that experience for us as people of color.”
Essence Vice President of Content Nandi Howard grew up near Galveston, the birthplace of Juneteenth.
She recalled how Juneteenth was always an unofficial holiday in the South, but said it was a “monumental moment to see it nationally being recognized. It makes me happy, and I know speaking for many people in the South, it makes us very happy.”
