The recent enthusiastic observance of Juneteenth 2022 makes a clear and emphatic statement that Americans today are more united than ever before in their stand against inequity, bigotry, and hatred across all walks of life.

As a successful African-American woman entrepreneur, I see myself as a living embodiment of the possibilities that the events of June 19, 1865 – which we all know and celebrate as Juneteenth – have opened up for the people of my community, and many other communities across America.

This watershed moment marked the liberation of the enslaved people of Galveston – Texas. It was the first notable manifestation of the historic Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, and serves as a prominent milestone in our nation’s march towards becoming the land of opportunity for those who demonstrate courage, enterprise, grit and hard work, regardless of their class, creed, race or religion.

I am Eleanor Thornton, the founder and CEO of Visionary Consulting Partners (Visionary), LLC., a Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), CVE-certified Service-Disabled Veteran- Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), and Small, Women and Minority-Owned (SWaM) Business.

Headquartered in Fairfax – VA, Visionary offers healthcare providers, community-based organizations, and public health agencies a wide range of consultative services across the entire healthcare delivery continuum. Ever since our inception in 2008 we have not only celebrated Juneteenth and everything it stands for year after year, but made every effort live up to the cause it represents and the values it espouses.

Buoyed by all the buzz surrounding the Juneteenth 2022 celebrations just barely a fortnight ago, we reaffirm our commitment to the equitable delivery of healthcare services for all, particularly underserved populations, including woman, children and veterans. We also take this opportunity to renew our pledge to be an equal-opportunity employer.

With Juneteenth being declared a federal holiday by the Biden administration last year, the occasion has now been indelibly etched into the collective consciousness of the American people, as a symbol of social equity and racial harmony – a beacon of hope for the future of our Nation and its people.