Juneteenth

This article is about the holiday. For the work by Ralph Ellison, see Juneteenth (novel).

Juneteenth or June 19th 1865
Juneteenth celebration in Austin, Texas, on June 19, 1900.
Also called	Freedom Day or Emancipation Day
Observed by	Residents of the United States, especially African Americans
Type	Ethnic, historical
Significance	Emancipation of last remaining slaves in the United States
Date	June 19
Observances	Exploration and celebration of African-American history and heritage

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a holiday in the United States that commemorates the announcement of the abolition of slavery in the U.S. state of Texas in 1865. Celebrated on June 19, the term is a portmanteau of June and nineteenth, and is recognized as a state holiday or special day of observance in 42 of the United States.

History

Ashton Villa, from whose front balcony General Order #3 was read on June 19, 1865.

During the US Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, with an effective date of January 1, 1863. Although it declared that slaves were to be freed in the Confederate States of America in rebellion against the federal government, it had minimal actual effect. Even after the ending of military hostilities, as a part of the former Confederacy, Texas did not act to comply with the Emancipation Proclamation.

On June 18, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take possession of the state and enforce the emancipation of its slaves. On June 19, standing on the balcony of Galveston’s Ashton Villa, Granger read the contents of "General Order No. 3":

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.

That day has since become known as Juneteenth, a name coming from a portmanteau of the word June and the suffix, "teenth", as in "Nineteenth", coined by 1903.

Former slaves in Galveston rejoiced in the streets with jubilant celebrations. Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas the following year. Across many parts of Texas, freed people pooled their funds to purchase land specifically for their communities and increasingly large Juneteenth gatherings — including Houston’s Emancipation Park, Mexia’s Booker T. Washington Park, and Emancipation Park in Austin.

In Arkansas, the small town of Wilmar has consistently observed "June Dinner" from almost the time of the Emancipation, well over one hundred years (except for one year during the Great Depression).

Traditions

Emancipation Day celebration in Richmond, Virginia in 1905.

Traditions include a public reading of the Emancipation Proclamation as a reminder that the slaves have been proclaimed free. The events are celebratory and festive. Many African-American families use this opportunity to retrace their ancestry to the ancestors who were held in bondage for centuries, exchange artifacts, debunk family myths, and stress responsibility and striving to be the best you can be. Celebrants often sing traditional songs as well such as Swing Low, Sweet Chariot; Lift Every Voice and Sing; and poetry from black authors like Maya Angelou. Juneteenth celebrations also include a wide range of festivities to celebrate American heritage, such as parades, rodeos, street fairs, cookouts, family reunions, or park parties that include such things as African-American music and dancing or contests of physical strength and intellect. Some of the events may include black cowboys, historical reenactments, or Miss Juneteenth contests. Traditional American sports may also be played such as baseball, football, or basketball tournaments.

Decline and resurgence

Juneteenth is one of the oldest celebrations commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States and has been an African-American tradition since the late 19th century. Economic and cultural forces caused a decline in Juneteenth celebrations beginning in the early 20th century. The Depression forced many blacks off farms and into the cities to find work. In these urban environments, employers were less eager to grant leaves to celebrate this date. July 4 was the already established Independence Day holiday, and a rise in patriotism among black Americans steered more toward this celebration.

The Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s yielded both positive and negative results for the Juneteenth celebrations. While it pulled many of the African-American youth away and into the struggle for racial equality, many linked these struggles to the historical struggles of their ancestors.

Again in 1968, Juneteenth received another strong resurgence through Poor Peoples March to Washington, D.C. Rev. Ralph Abernathy’s call for people of all races, creeds, economic levels and professions to come to Washington to show support for the poor. Many of these attendees returned home and initiated Juneteenth celebrations in areas previously absent of such activity. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Juneteenth continued to enjoy a growing interest from communities and organizations throughout the country as African Americans have an interest to see that the events of 1865 in Texas are not forgotten. Many see roots tying back to Texas soil from which all remaining American slaves were finally granted their freedom.

Observance

In Texas, Juneteenth has been an official state holiday since 1980. It is considered a "partial staffing holiday", meaning that state offices do not close, but some employees will be using a floating holiday to take the day off. Schools are not closed, but most public schools in Texas are already into summer vacation by June 19.

Its observance has spread to many other states, with a few celebrations even taking place in other countries.

As of June 2012, 42 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have recognized Juneteenth as either a state holiday or special day of observance; these are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

In addition to recognizing Juneteenth, the Ohio General Assembly passed a bill in 2006 setting aside September 22 as Emancipation Day in Ohio because on September 22, 1863, the African American community in Gallipolis, Ohio, began what has become the longest, continuous celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation on the first anniversary of Lincoln's preliminary proclamation.

Eight U.S. states have not recognized Juneteenth through state legislative resolution or bill: Arizona, Hawaii, Maryland, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Utah.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Slavery in the United States
• Emancipation Day
• History of African Americans in Texas
• 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

External links

• National Juneteenth Observance Foundation
• Juneteenth World Wide Celebration
• National Juneteenth Christian Leadership Council
• 19th of June
• Juneteenth in the Classroom