Summer Celebrations! - Juneteenth

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JUNETEENTH

Friday, June 19th

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” – Declaration of Independence, 1776

Most of us know these words and celebrate them every year on the national holiday of the Fourth of July. However, for a large population of our country the words equal, freedom, and independence are tied to another day – Juneteenth!  

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Juneteenth, a portmanteau of June 19^th, is celebrated by many across the country as the day slavery ended and all American citizens, and especially the enslaved people of our country, become free and equal forever. Also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Cel-Liberation Day, Juneteenth celebrates the day in 1865 that General Granger and federal troops came to Galveston, Texas to spread the news that all enslaved people were officially and forever free.  General Granger was specifically spreading the news of the Emancipation Proclamation, which went into effect over 2 years prior, on January 1, 1863. The reason it took over two years for this news to finally reach Texas, the last state to be notified, is up for debate among historians, but a few reasons are cited to be a likely cause. Texans often received news later than other states due to it being the furthest away, though, it is important to note, most news made it to Texas within about 3 months’ time. Texas was also, of course, a southern state, and in many southern states the Emancipation Proclamation could not be enforced until the end of the Civil War in April of 1865.

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Whatever the reason, the news caused quite a stir among the communities of Texas and invoked what is now referred to as, “The Scatter.” Almost immediately, the enslaved people of Texas started leaving; some even left in the middle of General Granger’s announcement. In his speech, General Granger made the recommendation that enslaved people should stay on their plantations and continue working for wages, though many disagreed and left quickly. Even with the Emancipation Proclamation becoming enforceable law, many plantation owners did not inform their enslaved population for some time after June 19^th.  Some plantation owners waited until the harvest had ended to inform their enslaved population; while others said nothing and would use physical force to try to keep the enslaved population with them. Quickly after “The Scatter” took place, Jim Crow and segregation laws came into effect, which made it much harder for the black community to find safe homes and communities where they could live and work. However, they persisted and created homes, communities, businesses, parks, and more to call their own.

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A few years after General Granger’s announcement, a group of black Americans was struggling to find a place where they could celebrate their freedom together in Texas. This group pulled their money together and, with $800, bought 4 acres of land in Houston, and named it Emancipation Park. While Juneteenth is mostly celebrated in places with a large population of African Americans, it is remembered and enjoyed by millions across the country. Juneteenth has been celebrated by many of our nation’s leaders and important change makers, including Martin Luther King, Jr., who scheduled the Poor People’s March to coincide with Juneteenth. Barack Obama has also celebrated it while working to make it a national holiday. Everyone who celebrates Juneteenth, celebrates in different ways. Some discuss its’ history with their family, while others have cookouts, parties, parades, and festivals.

It is easy to see why this is such an important holiday to many and should be shared and respected by all. Just this week, in fact, Virginia's Governor Northam declared it a state paid holiday. Through the years, many have worked to make Juneteenth a national holiday that we as citizens all celebrate and rejoice in, for the reasons of it being the day every person in the country, regardless of race, was legally and forever free.

If you would like to learn more about Juneteenth or sign a petition to make Juneteenth a national holiday, like the Fourth of July, please see the links below.

Photo Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth_(novel)

Read More about Juneteenth:

Juneteenth by: Ralph Ellison (book)
To Plead Out Own Cause: Personal Stories from Today's Slaves by: Kevin Bales Zoe Trodd (ebook) 
Juneteenth (article) 
Juneteenth is for Everyone (article)
Juneteenth: A Historical Analysis (article)
Juneteenth: Our Other Independence Day (article)
Make Juneteenth a National Holiday (article)
National Geographic (article)
The African Americans Many Rivers to Cross  (article)
What is Juneteenth? (article)
What is Juneteenth? (article)
#WEAREJUNETEENTH – Emancipation Park Conservancy (article)