Every Juneteenth, we’re called to remember a delayed freedom—when, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, the final enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, were informed of their liberation. It is a day to reflect not just on what was promised, but on what was withheld and for how long.

What Juneteenth Means for Healthcare Today

At Koning, we recognize that honoring Juneteenth means more than marking a date. It means asking hard questions about the systems we still operate in today and what role we play in shaping them. Juneteenth doesn’t just represent historical emancipation, but also freedom from fear, pain, and avoidance in healthcare today.

Juneteenth and the Patient Experience in Breast Imaging

For too long, innovation in breast imaging has progressed without fully addressing the lived experiences of patients: Too many women, especially Black women, avoid their annual breast cancer exams due to fear: fear of pain, fear of cost, fear of being dismissed. Painful, compressive mammograms have been accepted as “normal.” Delayed diagnoses have been brushed off as unfortunate but unavoidable. The cumulative effect has been a system that too often fails those who have historically had to wait the longest to be seen.

That’s why our Koning Vera is not just a technological advancement, but a small act of reparative design. A tool that challenges the default, disrupts the status quo, and prioritizes patient dignity as a non-negotiable. Our imaging platform offers a 7-second scan with no breast compression, capturing true 3D images with unmatched clarity and comfort. No flattening, no routine discomfort, no avoidance due to fear of pain.

This Juneteenth, we remain focused on creating breast imaging technology that puts patient dignity, comfort, and access at the center. We can’t rewrite history. But we can design technology that refuses to repeat it.