Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the U.S., commemorates African American freedom — while emphasizing education and achievement.
Juneteenth sounds like a playful day doesn’t it? Such a simple, lighthearted term that really sounds like a made-up holiday of little consequence. You couldn’t be more wrong, Juneteenth is one of the most important days in the history of the United States, representing the day that the last slaves in the country were set free. All over the country people celebrate the day that freedom took another step forward in the new world, and one more crime against humanity was cancelled and set to rights. Juneteenth celebrates this great event and the changes in made in the future of America.
History of Juneteenth
Juneteenth highlights a difficult time in American history, and the last vestiges of Slavery in the United States. Texas was never directly involved in the Civil War, and when the Emancipation Proclamation was established its slaves were not directly affected, so much so that people from all over had migrated into Texas to avoid the fighting that was going on everywhere else. Thousands of slaves entered the Lone Star state during this time, and it took some time for freedom to finally reach them.
Union General Gordon Granger read “General Order No. 3” on June 19th from a balcony in Ashton Villa, stating “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”
How to celebrate Juneteenth
Take some time to study the history of your country and your state, and visit some of the celebrations that are taking place. The fight for freedom is not yet over for African-American’s, with thousands facing persecution and racism every year. While great strides have been made to help ease this and bring understanding between people of every race, only an appreciation for the difficult past and working together to change the future will really bring about the completion of what started in 1865. Juneteenth is your opportunity to address the racism that still exists in the US, and do your part in helping to put an end to it at last.
Juneteenth timeline
- June 14, 2019
Call for a national holiday
Boston Globe columnist Renée Graham wrote that Juneteenth deserves an elevated status — noting that many African Americans regard the nation's July 4 holiday with deep ambivalence. Graham also mentioned that Thomas Jefferson, who wrote "All men are created equal," owned hundreds of enslaved people."
She went on to say: "As a day marking American independence, July 4 is incomplete. Only with the freeing of those enslaved thousands in Texas could this nation try to claim Jefferson’s lofty words as its own."
- 1980
Texas declares Juneteenth a state holiday
While Texas was the first state to observe Juneteenth as a state holiday, many others have since followed suit. Only five states do not recognize the day of celebration — Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, South Dakota and North Dakota.
- July 2, 1964
President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act
This act gave the federal government the power to enforce desegregation while prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion or national origin.
- August 28, 1963
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech
Dr. King spoke in front of roughly 200,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial. Now, a half century later, his speech ranks among the all-time most inspirational in American history.
- June 19, 1865
Texas slaves finally gain their freedom
Even though they were officially made aware of the Emancipation Proclamation on this day, many slaves stayed with their masters as paid hands. Of those who chose to leave their former owners, some were tracked down and killed. The proclamation did not mean immediate freedom.
5 Courageous Americans Who Fought For Equality
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Perhaps the most widely-recognizable name associated with the civil rights movement, Dr. King gave us the famous "I have a Dream" speech in August 1963. His 1968 murder proved that the movement still had a lot of work to do.
Rosa Parks
With a simple refusal to surrender her seat on a public bus, Parks made a bold statement for African Americans in the South. Her December 1955 arrest inspired the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Mildred Loving
Loving and her husband, Richard were jailed for unlawful cohabitation in Virginia where interracial marriage was illegal in 1958. Their case reached the Supreme Court in 1967, which ruled unanimously in their favor.
Frederick Douglass
An escaped slave, Douglass became an advocate for the abolition of slavery as well as women's rights.
Dred Scott
Enslaved African American Dred Scott sued for his family's freedom in 1857. The Supreme Court ruled against him — finding that no person of African ancestry could claim U.S. citizenship.
How to Observe Juneteenth
Fly the Juneteenth Flag
Echoing the red, white and blue of the U.S. flag, the Juneteenth flag signifies that slaves and their descendants are true Americans. A star in the middle represents Texas, with a larger outer star representing a new freedom and a new people.
Attend a Juneteenth Celebration
Some citizens in the southern states celebrate with readings and oral histories of their ancestors, which is an honorable way to remember a somber period in American history. Celebrations also include cookouts, rodeos, concerts and parades.
Watch a movie about slavery
Recent titles include 12 Years a Slave, Glory, Amistad and Django Unchained.
Why Juneteenth is Important
We need to learn from past mistakes
Acknowledging our past helps us to understand what all of us must do as a society to improve.
Empathy
Most of us can't imagine a world like this. When Texas finally "freed" their slaves in 1865, it came 30 months after Lincoln's proclamation. Still, even today, America struggles with race relations.
Redemption
Texas was the first state to establish Juneteenth as a state holiday in 1980. Today it's a "partial staffing" holiday in Texas; government offices do not close but agencies may operate with reduced staff.
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