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Juneteenth

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For other uses, see Juneteenth (disambiguation).
Juneteenth
Also calledFreedom Day or Emancipation Day
Observed byResidents of the United States, especially African Americans
TypeEthnic, Historical
SignificanceEmancipation of Slaves in Texas
ObservancesExploration and celebration of diversity and African American history
DateJune 19
Related tono known related holidays

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is an annual holiday, celebrated on June 19 in the United States, commemorating the end of slavery. The holiday originated in Texas; for more than a century, this state was the primary home of Juneteenth celebrations. More recently, however, its observance has spread across the nation.

Though the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect on January 1, 1863, it had little immediate effect on most slaves' day-to-day lives, particularly in Texas, which was almost entirely under Confederate control. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take possession of the state and enforce slaves' new freedoms. Standing at the heart of Galveston's business district, known as the Strand, 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 probably derived from the slang combination of the words June and nineteenth.

Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas the following year. Across many parts of Texas, freed slaves pooled their funds to purchase land specifically for their communities' increasingly Iarge Juneteenth gatherings — including Houston's Emancipation Park, Mexia's Booker T. Washington Park, and Emancipation Park in Austin. Within a few years, these celebrations had spread to other states and become an annual tradition. Celebrations often opened with praying and religious ceremonies, and included a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. A wide range of festivities entertained participants, from music and dancing to contests of physical strength and intellect. Food was central to the celebrations, and barbecued meats were especially popular. The Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook ISBN 0-8118-2961-8 by Robb Walsh features a chapter of Juneteenth, as well as traditional barbecue recipes.

Since 1980, Juneteenth has been an official state holiday in Texas.


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