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
Observances	Exploration and celebration of African-American history and heritage
Date	June 19

Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day, 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, and more generally the emancipation of African-American citizens throughout the United States. 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.

Origins

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 on the island of 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. 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 (except for one year during the Great Depression).

History

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, and a rise in patriotism among African-American people steered more toward July 4 as Independence Day. The Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s focused the attention of African-American youth instead on the struggle for racial equality, but many also linked these struggles to the historical struggles of their ancestors.

Following the 1968 Poor Peoples March to Washington, D.C. called by Rev. Ralph Abernathy, many attendees returned home and initiated Juneteenth celebrations in areas where the day was not previously celebrated. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s it experienced growing interest from communities and organizations throughout the country.

File:American Flags of Freedom.gif

The American Flags of Freedom - U.S. Flag ("4th of July") & National Juneteenth Flag ("19th of June"). The Juneteenth Flag is the symbol of the "Modern Juneteenth Movement" in America.

In 1994 a group of Juneteenth community leaders gathered at Christian Unity Baptist Church in New Orleans, Louisiana to work for greater national recognition of Juneteenth.

In 1996 the first legislation to recognize "Juneteenth Independence Day" was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.J. Res. 195, sponsored by Barbara-Rose Collins (D-MI). In 1997 Congress recognized the day through Senate Joint Resolution 11 and House Joint Resolution 56. In 2013 The U.S. Senate passed Senate Resolution 175, acknowledging Lula Briggs Galloway (late president of the National Association of Juneteenth Lineage) who "successfully worked to bring national recognition to Juneteenth Independence Day", and the continued leadership of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation.

Observance

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.

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 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,, 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.

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
• Berkeley Juneteenth Festival
• Juneteenth in United States
• Juneteenth World Wide Celebration