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'''Juneteenth''', also known as '''Freedom Day''' or '''Emancipation Day''', is a holiday in the [[United States]] that commemorates the announcement of the [[Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|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'',<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.blackvoicenews.com/news/46366-juneteenth-celebrated-in-coachella.html|title=Juneteenth Celebrated in Coachella|date=June 22, 2011|work=Black Voice News}}</ref> and is recognized as a state holiday or state holiday observance in 42 states of the [[United States]].<ref name="KS">{{cite web | url=http://www.juneteenth.us/pressrelease20.html | title=Kansas Becomes the 31st State to Recognize Juneteenth as a State Holiday | work=National Juneteenth Observance Foundation | accessdate=2009-05-29}}</ref>
'''Juneteenth''', also known as '''Freedom Day''' or '''Emancipation Day''', is a holiday in the [[United States]] that commemorates the announcement of the [[Emancipation Proclamation|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'',<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.blackvoicenews.com/news/46366-juneteenth-celebrated-in-coachella.html|title=Juneteenth Celebrated in Coachella|date=June 22, 2011|work=Black Voice News}}</ref> and is recognized as a state holiday or state holiday observance in 42 of the [[United States]].<ref name="KS">{{cite web | url=http://www.juneteenth.us/pressrelease20.html | title=Kansas Becomes the 31st State to Recognize Juneteenth as a State Holiday | work=National Juneteenth Observance Foundation | accessdate=2009-05-29}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Ashton Villa Galveston Texas.jpg|thumb|[[Ashton Villa]], from whose front balcony General Order #3 was read on June 19, 1865.]]
Though [[Abraham Lincoln]] issued the [[Emancipation Proclamation]] on September 22, 1862, with an effective date of January 1, 1863, it had minimal immediate effect on most slaves’ day-to-day lives, particularly in the [[Confederate States of America]].<ref>Sick from Freedom, First Edition, New York, Oxford University Press, 2012,</ref> Texas, as a part of the Confederacy, was resistant to the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth commemorates June 18 and 19, 1865. June 18 is the day [[Union Army|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.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1815936,00.html|title="A Brief History of Juneteenth"|date=2--8-06-18|author=Gilbert Cruz|work=''Time'' magazine||accessdate=2013-05-30}}</ref> On June 19, 1865, while standing on the balcony of Galveston’s [[Ashton Villa]], Granger read the contents of “General Order No. 3”:{{quote|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 [[Freedman|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.<ref name = "TXJ19"/>}}

That day has since become known as ''Juneteenth'', a name coming from a [[portmanteau]] of the word ''June'' and the suffix, ''"teenth"'', as in "Nine''teenth''", coined by 1903.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/juneteenth|work=Merriam Webster Dictionary|accessdate=2013-05-30}}</ref>

Former slaves in Galveston rejoiced in the streets with jubilant celebrations. Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas the following year.<ref name = "TXJ19"/> 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, Texas|Mexia]]’s Booker T. Washington Park, and Emancipation Park in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]].<ref name="TXJ19">{{cite web | url=http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/juneteenth.html | title= Juneteenth | work=State of Texas website | accessdate=2006-07-06}}</ref>

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).<ref> Jones, Lee Etta. Letter to Helen Gonder. 16 June 1968. MS. Jones Archive, Wilmar, Arkansas.</ref>

===Traditions===
[[File:Emancipation Day in Richmond, Virginia, 1905.jpg|thumb|Emancipation Day celebration in Richmond, Virginia in 1905.]]
Traditions include an enunciated 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.<ref name="celeb">[http://www.juneteenth.com/howtocelebrate.htm Juneteenth World Wide Celebration<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> 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]].<ref>Taylor, 2002. pp. 28–29.</ref> 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 [[African-American dance|dancing]] or contests of physical strength and intellect. Some of the events may include [[Cowboy#Ethnicity|black cowboys]], [[historical reenactment]]s, or [[beauty pageant|Miss Juneteenth contests]]. Traditional American sports may also be played such as baseball, football, or basketball tournaments.<ref name="celeb"/>

===Juneteenth's decline and resurgence===
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States and has been an African-American tradition since the late 19th century.<ref name="hist">[http://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm Juneteenth World Wide Celebration<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> 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.<ref name="hist"/>

Again in 1968, Juneteenth received another strong resurgence through [[Poor People's Campaign|Poor Peoples March]] to Washington, D.C. [[Ralph Abernathy|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.<ref name="hist"/>


==Observation==
==Observation==
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.<ref name="jtcom02">{{cite web|url=http://www.juneteenth.com/international.htm|title=The World Celebrates Freedom|accessdate=2006-06-19}}</ref><ref name="moskin2004">{{cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/18/national/18june.html?ex=140vytmfyjftyftyjfjytctyjcgftderzrerhfgcjvjg2891200&en=81d7a9a2f150231c&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND | title=Late to Freedom's Party, Texans Spread Word of Black Holiday | author=Moskin, Julie | work=The New York Times | date=2004-06-18 | accessdate=2011-04-28 }}</ref>
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 19th.
Its observance has spread to many other states, with a few celebrations even taking place in other countries.<ref name="jtcom02">{{cite web|url=http://www.juneteenth.com/international.htm|title=The World Celebrates Freedom|accessdate=2006-06-19}}</ref><ref name="moskin2004">{{cite news | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/18/national/18june.html?ex=140vytmfyjftyftyjfjytctyjcgftderzrerhfgcjvjg2891200&en=81d7a9a2f150231c&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND | title=Late to Freedom's Party, Texans Spread Word of Black Holiday | author=Moskin, Julie | work=The New York Times | date=2004-06-18 | accessdate=2011-04-28 }}</ref>


As of June 2012, 42{{citation needed|date=May 2013}} 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,<ref name="moskin2004" /> Arkansas, California,<ref name="moskin2004" /> Colorado, Connecticut,<ref name="moskin2004" /> Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,<ref name="KS"/> Kentucky,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hellolouisville.com/Articles/Event/2949/Juneteenth_Jamboree_runs_June_3%E2%80%9319.Cfm|title=Juneteenth Jamboree runs June 3–19 – Louisville, Kentucky|accessdate=July 16, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.juneteenth.com/0kentucky_us.htm|title=Juneteenth – Kentucky|accessdate=July 16, 2010}}</ref> Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-25488_47946-194263--,00.html |title=Juneteenth Freedom Day |accessdate= 15 January 2009 |quote =...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.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=10.55|title=10.55, 2009 Minnesota Statutes|accessdate= 22 February 2010}}</ref> Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey,<ref name="moskin2004" /> New Mexico, New York,<ref name="moskin2004" /> North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.<ref>[http://www.juneteenth.com/ Juneteenth World Wide Celebration<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
As of June 2012, 42{{citation needed|date=May 2013}} 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,<ref name="moskin2004" /> Arkansas, California,<ref name="moskin2004" /> Colorado, Connecticut,<ref name="moskin2004" /> Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,<ref name="KS"/> Kentucky,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hellolouisville.com/Articles/Event/2949/Juneteenth_Jamboree_runs_June_3%E2%80%9319.Cfm|title=Juneteenth Jamboree runs June 3–19 – Louisville, Kentucky|accessdate=July 16, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.juneteenth.com/0kentucky_us.htm|title=Juneteenth – Kentucky|accessdate=July 16, 2010}}</ref> Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-25488_47946-194263--,00.html |title=Juneteenth Freedom Day |accessdate= 15 January 2009 |quote =...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.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=10.55|title=10.55, 2009 Minnesota Statutes|accessdate= 22 February 2010}}</ref> Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey,<ref name="moskin2004" /> New Mexico, New York,<ref name="moskin2004" /> North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.<ref>[http://www.juneteenth.com/ Juneteenth World Wide Celebration<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


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|date=May 2013
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|date=May 2013}}


==Popular culture==
==Popular culture==

Revision as of 21:47, 30 May 2013

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 calledFreedom Day or Emancipation Day
Observed byResidents of the United States, especially African Americans
TypeEthnic, historical
SignificanceEmancipation of last remaining slaves in the United States
ObservancesExploration and celebration of African-American history and heritage
DateJune 19

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 of the United States.[2]

History

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

Though Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, with an effective date of January 1, 1863, it had minimal immediate effect on most slaves’ day-to-day lives, particularly in the Confederate States of America.[3] Texas, as a part of the Confederacy, was resistant to the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth commemorates June 18 and 19, 1865. June 18 is the day 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.[4] On June 19, 1865, while 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.[5]

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.[6]

Former slaves in Galveston rejoiced in the streets with jubilant celebrations. Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas the following year.[5] 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.[5]

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).[7]

Traditions

Emancipation Day celebration in Richmond, Virginia in 1905.

Traditions include an enunciated 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.[8] 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.[9] 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.[8]

Juneteenth's decline and resurgence

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States and has been an African-American tradition since the late 19th century.[10] 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.[10]

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.[10]

Observation

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 19th.

Its observance has spread to many other states, with a few celebrations even taking place in other countries.[11][12]

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,[12] Arkansas, California,[12] Colorado, Connecticut,[12] Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,[2] Kentucky,[13][14] Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi [15][16] Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey,[12] New Mexico, New York,[12] North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.[17]

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]

  • 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.[19]
  • 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.[20]
  • 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

References

  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. ^ Sick from Freedom, First Edition, New York, Oxford University Press, 2012,
  4. ^ Gilbert Cruz (2--8-06-18). ""A Brief History of Juneteenth"". Time magazine. Retrieved 2013-05-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  5. ^ a b c "Juneteenth". State of Texas website. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
  6. ^ Merriam Webster Dictionary http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/juneteenth. Retrieved 2013-05-30. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ Jones, Lee Etta. Letter to Helen Gonder. 16 June 1968. MS. Jones Archive, Wilmar, Arkansas.
  8. ^ a b Juneteenth World Wide Celebration
  9. ^ Taylor, 2002. pp. 28–29.
  10. ^ a b c Juneteenth World Wide Celebration
  11. ^ "The World Celebrates Freedom". Retrieved 2006-06-19.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "Juneteenth Jamboree runs June 3–19 – Louisville, Kentucky". Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  14. ^ "Juneteenth – Kentucky". Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  15. ^ "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.
  16. ^ "10.55, 2009 Minnesota Statutes". Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  17. ^ Juneteenth World Wide Celebration
  18. ^ Juneteenth: A Novel, Ralph Ellison (Author), John F. Callahan (Editor), Random House; 1st edition (May 29, 1999), ISBN 978-0394464572
  19. ^ Carolyn Meyer, Jubilee Journey, Sandpiper (October 15, 1997), ISBN 978-0152015916
  20. ^ Ann Rinaldi, Come Juneteenth, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (May 1, 2007), ISBN 978-0152059477
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