HAPPY JUNETEENTH!

As most of you are aware by now, Juneteenth is the newest federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. It is also called Emancipation Day or Juneteenth Independence Day. The name “Juneteenth” references the date of the holiday, combining the words “June” and “nineteenth.”

Since June 19th falls on tomorrow, a Saturday, it is celebrated today, Friday, June 18th, where federal employees, and many others, will be given the day off to learn, teach, and reach others about the significance of this holiday--a day to mark when a group of enslaved people in Texas finally learned that they were free (June 19, 1865)--some two and a half years AFTER the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Abraham Lincoln to free the slaves (January 1st, 1863).

Black History is American History

Historic Background Facts About Juneteenth

June 19, 1865 (First Juneteeth):

Major General Gordon Grainger arrived in Galveston, TX with news that the Civil War had ended and all the slaves were free. During the war Union soldiers could not get past the Confederate troops to enter Texas to tell the slaves about the Emancipation Proclamation. When the war was over and slavery was officially illegal, plantation owners still did not tell their slaves that they were free. 

As a result, the slaves in Texas did not know that they were free until Major General Granger's announcement two and a half years later. Therefore, his arrival in Texas and the good news on June 19^th,1865, is known as the date that the last slaves were freed. This was the date of the celebration of the first Juneteenth (also known as Emancipation Day).

Juneteenth History and Dates

January 1st, 1863:

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which declares that all persons held as slaves within states that have seceded from the union are henceforth free. The Proclamation made freeing slaves the official end goal of the American Civil War and allowed African Americans to enlist in the Army and the Navy. The Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery in the United States, but it set the stage for the constitutional amendment that followed.

April 8th, 1864:

The Senate voted and agreed to add the 13th Amendment to the United States constitution. The 13th amendment abolished slavery in every state.

January 31st, 1865:  

The House of Representatives voted and agreed to add the 13th amendment to the constitution-making slavery illegal in all states.

March 3rd, 1865 - 1872:

Congress created and operated the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (usually referred to as the Freedmen’s Bureau), to aid in the transition from slavery to freedom. The Freemen’s Bureau (FB) also fed millions of ex-slaves, provided medical care, built hospitals, and negotiated labor contracts and labor disputes. The FB also assisted ex-slaves to legalize marriages, and locate lost relatives, as well as helped Black veterans.

More Facts:

December 6th, 1865:

• The 13th amendment was ratified by enough States and was added to the constitution. Juneteenth, at first, was only celebrated within the African American community, consisting of playing games eating various foods, and dressing in their Sunday’s best clothing to symbolize that they no longer had to wear the clothing of slavery. 

• Sometimes the white plantation owners would oppose the celebration by refusing to let their newly freed slaves use their property for the Juneteenth celebrations. In response, Juneteenth celebrations mostly took place at churches or on donated land. 

• Eventually, in the 1890s, sites like Emancipation Park in Houston, TX, and Booker T. Washington Park in Mexia, TX was established specifically for holding Juneteenth celebrations. During the early 1900s, interest in celebrating Juneteenth declined.

The Emancipation Proclamation:   

The Emancipation Proclamation was credited with ending

slavery, and General Granger's role in freeing Texas

slaves 2 1/2 years after the proclamation.

The Great Depression (1930s):

In the 1930s, the Great Depression forced many former

slaves off the farms in the south and into the cities for jobs.

Unless June 19th fell on a weekend, there were very few

participants available to celebrate as they had to go to work. 

Civil Rights Movements (1950s -1960s):

Awareness for Juneteenth increased again during the Civil

Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. African Americans

reconnected with this important historic part of their slave and

ancestors’ heritage and used it to fuel their fight for equal

rights. 

The People's March in Washington DC (1968):

The poor people's March in Washington DC in 1968 inspired

many African Americans to begin celebrating Juneteenth

again. Thus, during the next several years, African American

state legislator, Al Edwards, helped to increase awareness of

Juneteenth until it was finally declared an official State

Holiday in Texas on January 1st, 1980.

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TGIJF: Thank God It's JJUNETEENTH Friday

Today, June 18th, 2021, Juneteenth is the newest federal

Holiday--thanks to tireless activists and advocates, such as

Opal Lee, known as the "Grandmother of the Juneteenth

Holiday", and many others--a long-awaited holiday for

celebrating African American freedom and achievements. 

A DELAY IS NOT NECESSARILY A DENIAL!

How Will You Celebrate the New Official Juneteenth Federal Holiday? Here are a few noted Events and Activities:

The Smithsonian, The Henry Ford Museum, The National

Museum of African American History and Cultural, The

Library of Congress, and many other institutions sponsor

activities and celebrations for Juneteenth, to educate more

people about African American history and culture in

general.

Share Historical Facts

about the history of Juneteenth and the history of the freedom movement on your social media--Take A Quiz; Make Up A Quiz.

HOLD A MOVIE MARATHON with movies that focus on black history. It’s a great way to celebrate Juneteenth in a fun but meaningful way.