• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
  • Advertising Disclosure
Home  >  United Airlines  >  United Airlines Celebrates Juneteenth In A Profound Way
United Airlines

United Airlines Celebrates Juneteenth In A Profound Way

Matthew Klint Posted onJune 20, 2022June 20, 2022 37 Comments

United Airlines released a pair of videos to commemorate Juneteenth, offering a profound look at the progress we have made, even while our work toward a more perfect Union remains unfinished. The words of Opal Lee send a powerful message to all of us.

United Airlines Honors Juneteenth With Special Flight And Focus On Opal Lee

Many workers in the United States are enjoying a day off today in honor of Juneteenth, a commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States and now a federal holiday. While Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 freed all slaves in the Confederacy, it was more than two years until the news reached slaves in Texas. Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 bringing word to thousands of slaves that they no longer were under bondage.

The former slaves reacted in jubilee, celebrating with prayer, hymns, and spiritual songs. This moment in time has been celebrated annually since it happened, but only became a federal holiday in 2021.

United Airlines released a pair of videos to mark this holiday. Both center on 95-year-old Opal Lee, who played a pivotal role in making Juneteenth a federal holiday. One video begins with a United airlines pilot speaking:

“To read history is one thing. To know history is duty. But to live and speak with history, is just the ultimate honor I could have.”

It then shifts to Lee, who explains:

“You see, when I was growing up, the only airplane I saw was the one overhead. But the young people, they have the opportunity to actually fly the planes. I’m delighted with the progress they’ve made. I’d tell every child, that’s on this United Airlines flight, if people can be taught to hate they can be taught to love.”

Lee was referring to a special Juneteenth flight United Airlines ran last week from its hub in Houston (IAH) that featured 100 school children from “disadvantaged communities” onboard, many flying for the first time:

As for Lee’s message above, amen. What a powerful testimony that love can triumph over hate and that even though the journey to racial equality is not over, the USA has made great strides.

What I love about Lee’s words and about the spirit of this video is that it revels in the progress we have made. We can celebrate that today. We’re such a negative culture, drowning in lament about the shape and progress of our nation on both sides of the political spectrum.

But can we stop, just for today at least, and recognize how much progress has been made? No matter your political party or persuasion, I hope we, as a nation, can recognize that black Americans are worthy of the same dignity, respect, and opportunity as any other citizen. Furthermore, we can recognize that such opportunities have been shamefully withheld from many over our history and that the lingering effects of that can still be felt today.

But finally, we can recognize that black Americans have opportunities today that Lee’s generation could only dream of? Let’s celebrate the fact that this nation is reconciling the past every time a young black person earns their wings and takes to the skies.

CONCLUSION

What I appreciate about United’s “Good Leads The Way” campaign is that it does focus on the positive. In a world that is so negative, I am proud to be an American on this Juneteenth and celebrate that skin color no longer necessarily limits aspiring pilots or flight attendants from fulfilling their dreams.

Be sure to watch the longer video United produced with Opal Lee as well, which tells the story of how she became the primary driver for making Juneteenth a federal holiday.


> Read More: United Airlines Operates All-Black Juneteenth Flight (Photos)

Previous Article Spirit Pushes Back Merger Vote, Evaluates JetBlue Offer
Next Article Cute: Mom Distributes “Crying Baby Care Kits” On Transpacific Flight

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • United Airlines Abortion Dobbs

    United Airlines Strikes A Neutral Tone On Landmark Supreme Court Abortion Decision

    June 24, 2022
  • United Airlines JFK Expansion

    United Airlines Wants To Grow At New York JFK

    June 24, 2022
  • US Airlines Stimulus Bill

    United Airlines Will Cut Newark Flights In July

    June 23, 2022

37 Comments

  1. RetiredATLATC Reply
    June 20, 2022 at 6:49 am

    With the headline, I thought UA had dragged someone else off of an aircraft.

    BTW, the racist and Homophobic comments on the article about Pete Buttigieg should be removed. They were nothing but trolls trying to bring your site into a place I don’t thinks you want it to be.

  2. Chi Hsuan Reply
    June 20, 2022 at 9:08 am

    Meaningless post for a meaningless corporate pander video for a fake holiday. Next!

    • Billy Bob Reply
      June 20, 2022 at 10:01 am

      All holidays are fake Mr. Duke

  3. CHRIS Reply
    June 20, 2022 at 9:43 am

    Why didn’t they celebrate juneteenth 3 years ago? Was it not important then? Are the guays offended that they have to cede a day of drag shows during lgbtqia+++abclmnop month for this?

    • Ken Reply
      June 20, 2022 at 11:20 am

      The post is only about Juneteenth. You’re clearly obsessed with gay people. I applaud your coming out.

    • Mr. Marcus Reply
      June 20, 2022 at 11:44 am

      Well, it wasn’t a federal holiday three years ago, and it is now, so there is that…

      People and companies change how they celebrate things over time, for a variety of reasons.

      • CHRIS Reply
        June 20, 2022 at 1:07 pm

        So they can recognize slaves being freed but ONLY when it’s a federal holiday? That doesn’t seem very inclusive to me. Hey, either way, it’s great marketing……which really, is all it is.

        • Mr. Marcus Reply
          June 20, 2022 at 1:33 pm

          Were you criticizing them 3 years ago for not having a bigger celebration?

          If not, then you are guilty of the same thing that you are accusing them of doing– making a bigger deal out of this only now that it’s recognized a holiday.

          I you were criticizing them 3 years ago, then shouldn’t you now be giving them credit for responding favorably to your criticism?

          Or did I misunderstand? Is your current position that they STILL aren’t doing enough for Juneteenth? You want to see more celebrating?

          • CHRIS
            June 20, 2022 at 2:04 pm

            I couldn’t care less about either. Nor do I care about St Patrick’s Day or the The Battle of Puebla…..or really any other meaningless virtue signaling “holidays”. Imagine if all of these companies focused of providing a quality product instead of falling all over themselves to be woke. What’s next, a safety video performed by drag queens, how about one by BLM with a nice ACAB and “F the police” theme (could also mandate that all white passengers evacuate the burning aircraft last). We could even do an abortion themed one….the possibilities are ENDLESS…..Its a marketing agency’s wet dream!

          • Aaron
            June 20, 2022 at 4:26 pm

            “Imagine if all of these companies focused of providing a quality product instead of falling all over themselves to be woke.”

            Imagine if they did both. It isn’t an either/or/instead game.

          • Aaron
            June 20, 2022 at 4:41 pm

            “a safety video performed by drag queens”

            And that would be bad because…?

          • cargocult
            June 22, 2022 at 10:56 pm

            Groomers of the world, unite!

    • Joe United Reply
      June 21, 2022 at 12:22 pm

      Chris, isn’t it time to feed your cats?

  4. Max Reply
    June 20, 2022 at 10:16 am

    Thank you so much for sharing and posting this.

    There is always a frustration when social change carries a corporate endorsement. But corporations like United have power. They have advertising dollars. They have influence.

    From my perspective, United’s message was spot on: they broached the question, “Why do we honor Juneteenth at all?”

    In fact, Juneteenth has been a part of American culture all along; it is just now that we are honoring it on a national and formal level.

    There are corporations who honor Juneteenth with soulless, “yay for Juneteenth (eyeroll),” or the appalling “Juneteenth ice cream” from Walmart. United’s message carries depth and a combination of hope and solemnity.

    I applaud United for taking the right tone, the right message during such a difficult time.

    Out of a gloomy past, here now we stand at last. Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

    • cargocult Reply
      June 22, 2022 at 10:58 pm

      Only one in six blacks celebrated Juneteenth and about a third of them didn’t even know what it was prior to it being made federal holiday for craven political purposes. It is really George Floyd Day, brought to you by Chinese-Mexican fentanyl. And Carl’s Jr.

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        June 22, 2022 at 11:00 pm

        Not a fair assessment.

        • cargocult Reply
          June 22, 2022 at 11:11 pm

          And why not? Do you really think United or any other massive corporation is sincere in its virtue signaling? Why do corporations celebrate Pride month in Western markets but not in Muslim ones? Everyone—Democrat, Republican, corporate—went along with Juneteenth because it cost them virtually nothing. Do you think black folx really care? How are they materially better off because of it? Black wages went up under White Supremacist Trump and Trump’s share of the black vote in 202o improved over 2016. Were those voters all bigots? Are they better off under Biden?

  5. Amy Fischer Reply
    June 20, 2022 at 2:41 pm

    Matthew,

    Don’t fall for the hype. While slavery was wrong and should have never occurred (including Whites being slaves at the hands of arab conquest of North Africa, ottoman turks, and mongols), that’s no excuse for the infringement on freedom for Whites and Christians to live their lives as they please without forced collectivism and forced introduction of groups into private neighborhoods. I don’t think much progress has been made when citizens are not free to decide who they sell or rent their home to, who they hire, who they go to school with, and when we can openly tell the truth about who commits most of the crime.

    There is no reason to celebrate today.

    • Aaron Reply
      June 20, 2022 at 4:28 pm

      What a nonsense post. “White people were slaves in other countries, so we shouldn’t commemorate the slavery of Black people here in the US”. How asinine.

      But hey, you seem to enjoy being a racist…

      • cargocult Reply
        June 22, 2022 at 11:00 pm

        Why is Juneteenth a holiday and not January 1? The Emancipation Proclamation was signed more than two years prior to Juneteenth. It was massive BLM rioting that gave us George Floyd Day. No one really cared about it prior, including black folx.

    • Mr. Marcus Reply
      June 20, 2022 at 4:33 pm

      “There is no reason to celebrate today.” It seems like you feel this way pretty much every day.

      Do you ever comment in a way that isn’t just basically a cut and paste from the introductory pages of the angry white supremacist’s handbook?

    • Anthony Osuobeni Reply
      June 20, 2022 at 10:01 pm

      Sad very sad comment indeed! If any day in America should be celebrated as a national holiday it is Juneteenth. Black people (slaves) [built] America. If it took them over 300 years to enslaved, it should take them more than a day to celebrate their freedom! Sad commentary!

      • Anthony Osuobeni Reply
        June 20, 2022 at 10:04 pm

        Pardon typos. My response makes sense in between the lines. Meant to say “black people built America… not bully…”

      • Anthony Osuobeni Reply
        June 20, 2022 at 10:05 pm

        Pardon typos. My response makes sense in between the lines.

        • Matthew Klint Reply
          June 20, 2022 at 10:46 pm

          For clarity, I fixed your comment.

      • cargocult Reply
        June 22, 2022 at 11:06 pm

        It is Anglo-American rule of law that made American prosperity possible. There is plenty of black labor in Africa. Prosperity? Not so much. Plenty of modern slavery, though. When will African slaves have their Juneteenth? Is it white supremacy if blacks are the slavemasters?

    • Joey Reply
      June 22, 2022 at 3:31 am

      Amy- whites and Christians eh? Since most African Americans happen to be very much proud Christians, will you let them share your spot on the podium as winner at the Olympics of Suffering?

      I mean God forbid we could have a holiday celebrating a positive moment in our country’s history, the emancipation of the last slaves after the Civil War. Not something that makes you feel warm and fuzzy eh?

      I’m so sorry that you’re one of those pleasant people for whom Brown v. Board of Education was a dark, dark day for White Christian America.

      You must have a blast having to breathe
      in the air of folks of color (or MUSLIMS!) on your flights.

  6. Charlie R Reply
    June 20, 2022 at 5:28 pm

    Don’t fall for all the haters. Online comments are a place for people to show the ugliest, pettiest parts of themselves. Brush that sh..t off.

    While corporations do pander that takes nothing away from the joy of celebrating people being free.

    We should all celebrate everyone. I’m a straight, white man and I can celebrate Juneteenth, gay pride, Irish heritage, any of it. God meant for us to love each other and me celebrating someone else with a different background doesn’t make me any less, it doesn’t take away anything from me, it only adds. It is love by addition, not subtraction.

    Anyone who doesn’t get this, who feels the need to write some nasty comment, then you need help. And there is no shame in that either. We all have tough lives and sometimes it seems easier to cast stones. Go get help, play with your kids, walk on the grass, talk to someone. There is so much hurt in the world, we don’t need to keep spreading it here.

    • Daniel S. Reply
      June 21, 2022 at 1:39 pm

      Thank you, Charlie! Very well put.

  7. Desertfox Reply
    June 20, 2022 at 7:35 pm

    Just more wokeness pablum. United and other airlines need to focus on running a reliable safe operation. Not spending resources publiclly kneeling at the BLM and anyone elses alter of wokeness. Just shut up and fly, on time safely with the bags.

    • Ken Reply
      June 21, 2022 at 1:07 am

      Hey, it was Mitt Romney who said “Corporations are people, too” and conservatives on the Supreme Court who underscored that with their majority ruling on Citizens United, so you can thank the Republicans for what you now consider “wokeness” in corporate America. But the hypocrisy is obvious when you don’t personally agree with those stated positions!

  8. tdf Reply
    June 20, 2022 at 8:00 pm

    A few of these post amplify why there was slavery in America and why our democracy is in peril today.

  9. Joseph Story Reply
    June 20, 2022 at 11:08 pm

    Matthew, slavery did not end in the United States on June 19, 1865. It was still legal in the states that did not succeed from the Union. It wasn’t until the passage of the 13th Amendment on December 6 of the same year that it was ended.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      June 20, 2022 at 11:09 pm

      That’s why I said that Lincoln’s EP only freed slaves in the rebel states.

  10. Joe United Reply
    June 21, 2022 at 2:10 am

    A very inspirational speech by the lovely Opel Lee. Thank you for sharing it, Matthew.

  11. Joe mama Reply
    June 21, 2022 at 10:27 am

    In republican and trump supporter and I think this is a cool article. Nothing wrong with this at all, the ending of slavery should be celebrated.

    • Mudbone Reply
      June 22, 2022 at 5:40 pm

      It takes more muscles to frown…than to smile. Why all the effort. Hate takes so much energy

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Recent Posts

  • Airbnb Gran Canaria
    My Airbnb Casa In Gran Canaria, Spain June 25, 2022
  • World’s Most Powerful Flight Attendant Condemns Supreme Court Abortion Ruling June 25, 2022
  • Alaska Airlines Will Offer Free Abortion Flights To Employees June 25, 2022
  • A Visit To Poema Del Mar Aquarium In Las Palmas, Gran Canaria June 25, 2022

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Delta Korean Air First Class Mistake Fare
    Delta Considers $2,700 A Mistake Fare… June 18, 2022
  • United Airlines Honolulu Diversion
    Update: United Airlines 787-9 Diverts To Honolulu Due To Disruptive Passenger June 16, 2022
  • Delta Pilots Open Letter
    Delta Air Lines Pilots Offer Direct Appeal To Customers June 18, 2022
  • Flaunting Woman Struts Up and Down The Aisle On My Austrian Flight June 9, 2022

Archives

June 2022
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  
« May    

As seen on:

live_and_lets_fly

The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles The new United Polaris Lounge at Washington Dulles is the most beautiful of all Polaris Lounges. Stay tuned for a detailed look and many more photos on the blog tomorrow. Well done @united.
@malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire i @malaysiaairlines just announced it would retire its A380 fleet. While not surprising, it is sad to see the growing list of carriers retiring this superjumbo jet. On Malaysia Airlines, I flew the #A380 once from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London (LHR) and had the entire first class cabin to myself (full review on the blog). It was a beautiful flight that I will always remember.
Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited tha Welcome to @fly_bur @aveloair! I am so excited that a new carrier, Avelo, has launched, especially from an airport just 12 minutes from my home!
I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxair I greatly miss the @lufthansa #747-8 at @flylaxairport. Hopefully this summer it will return.

.
.
.
.
#Lufthansa #FirstClass #747 #747-8 #StarAlliance #Miles #Points
I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. I recently spent a weekend at the @ventanabigsur. This is not only a lovely, all-inclusive resort, but one of the best properties to use your @hyatt World of Hyatt points.
.
.
.
.
#Hyatt #BigSur #California #WorldofHyatt #CA-1 #Points #Hotels
In terms of a spacious first class product, the @E In terms of a spacious first class product, the @Emirates suite on a 777-300ER is hard to beat. My preference is Suite 2K.

.
.
.
.
#Emirates #777 #firstclass
Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from I Nearly five years ago, I took a “break” from Instagram ahead of the birth of my first child. Goodness, how time flies. While I’ve enjoyed catching up on others over the years, now it is time for me to return to Instagram. In this first post, I highlight two joys in my life, my two children, whom I trust will grow up to be prolific travelers that circumnavigate the globe as ambassadors of love and respect.

.
.
.
.
.

#travel #airplanes #airlines #miles #points #familytravel #human #integrity #honor
United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improv United Airlines' new Polaris seat is a huge improvement over UA's current business class seat. Check out my blog at liveandletsfly.com for 70+ photos of how @united is transforming its entire business class experience starting this December!
The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben! The perfect @flysas name tag for #Longyearben!
Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen - Spotted four #polarbear outside of #longyearbyen -- oh, and I love 40°F summer weather!
One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure One of the best crews I have ever had the pleasure of flying with in all my years of flying. Thank you @flysas SK940 on 11 Aug 2016
Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I a Next stop ARN! But dear @flysas , next time if I assign a window seat months in advance, don't move me to a center seat "for my convenience" with no way to get my original seat back... 😞
Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be rac Ready for #PIA from #MAN to #JFK -- we will be racing the #Delta flight to JFK at the gate next to us, which also departs at 12:45p. With @onemileatatime
Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregenc Another room with a beautiful view... #hyattregencycasablanca #cassablanca #hyatt
Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the i Enjoying #shanghai with @onemileatatime from the inside of the @grandhyatt_shanghai ... It is 40°C outside! 😓
From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minut From my front gate to my boarding gate in 15 minutes flat. I ❤️ #bur #burbankairport
@malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in se @malaysiaairlines #747 out of retirement and in service at #kul -- beautiful livery!
View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful bran View from my 61st floor room at the beautiful brand new @parkhyattguangzhou -- look for a full review coming soon on the blog #hyatt #parkhyatt #guangzhou #parkhyattguangzhou
Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, Will miss the @united #globalfirstlounge at #ord, which closes tomorrow and the Queen of the Skies #747 which will be retired in 2018.
The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. The colonial #architecture of #mumbai is stunning. If you're ever here, get up at 5am and have a walk around the city before it gets busy. You can hear the birds instead of honking horns.
Load More... Follow on Instagram
facebook twitter instagram rss

This site is for entertainment purposes only. The owner of this site is not an investment advisor, financial planner, nor legal or tax professional and articles here are of an opinion and general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

 

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

 

Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Posting....