Juneteenth

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This article is about the holiday. For the work by Ralph Ellison, see Juneteenth (novel).
 This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (September 2012)
Juneteenth or June 19th 1865
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,[1] and is recognized as a state holiday or state holiday observance in 42 states of the United States.[2]

Contents

Observation [edit]

The state of Texas is widely considered the first U.S. state to begin Juneteenth celebrations with informal observances taking place for over a century; it 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 19th. Its observance has spread to many other states, with a few celebrations even taking place in other countries.[3][4]

As of June 2012, 42[citation needed] 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,[4] Arkansas, California,[4] Colorado, Connecticut,[4] Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,[2] Kentucky,[5][6] Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi [7][8] Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey,[4] New Mexico, New York,[4] North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.[9]

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]

Popular culture [edit]

Question book-new.svg
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  • Carolyn Meyer's novel Jubilee Journey is the story of one young biracial girl celebrating Juneteenth with her relatives in Texas, while also learning to be proud of her African-American heritage.[11]
  • Ann Rinaldi's historical novel Come Juneteenth is the story of how Juneteenth came to be, and follows the life of a plantation-owner's young, white daughter in Texas during the Civil War whose family faces tragedy after her mulatto half-sister runs away when learning she was lied to about being free.[12]
  • In the video game, Call of Duty: Black Ops II the main antagonist, Raul Menendez, uses this date as a day to launch an attack on destroying the US military infrastructure, using this date for the "abolition of slavery."

See also [edit]

Portal icon African American portal
Portal icon Texas portal

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Juneteenth Celebrated in Coachella". Black Voice News. June 22, 2011. 
  2. ^ a b "Kansas Becomes the 31st State to Recognize Juneteenth as a State Holiday". National Juneteenth Observance Foundation. Retrieved 2009-05-29. 
  3. ^ "The World Celebrates Freedom". Retrieved 2006-06-19. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f Moskin, Julie (2004-06-18). "Late to Freedom's Party, Texans Spread Word of Black Holiday". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-04-28. 
  5. ^ "Juneteenth Jamboree runs June 3–19 – Louisville, Kentucky". Retrieved July 16, 2010. 
  6. ^ "Juneteenth – Kentucky". Retrieved July 16, 2010. 
  7. ^ "Juneteenth Freedom Day". Retrieved 15 January 2009. "...I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2008, as Juneteenth Freedom Day in Michigan, and I encourage all citizens to reflect upon the value of freedom." 
  8. ^ "10.55, 2009 Minnesota Statutes". Retrieved 22 February 2010. 
  9. ^ Juneteenth World Wide Celebration
  10. ^ Juneteenth: A Novel, Ralph Ellison (Author), John F. Callahan (Editor), Random House; 1st edition (May 29, 1999), ISBN 978-0394464572
  11. ^ Carolyn Meyer, Jubilee Journey, Sandpiper (October 15, 1997), ISBN 978-0152015916
  12. ^ Ann Rinaldi, Come Juneteenth, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (May 1, 2007), ISBN 978-0152059477

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Juneteenth


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