Juneteenth
Juneteenth celebrates the day slavery ended in Texas, June 19, 1865
This week, President Joe Biden signed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a US federal holiday. In fact, Juneteenth is the first Federal holiday to be established since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983 under President Reagan.
However, despite the national attention surrounding Juneteenth and its establishment as a federal holiday, many are still unaware of its significance in American history - illuminating the necessity of creating spaces for conversation and providing agency to this mostly untold story of emancipation.
June 19, 2021 will mark the 156th anniversary of Juneteenth.
So What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day. Though it has long been celebrated among Black communities, it is a history that has been marginalized and still remains largely unknown to the wider American public.
While President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, declaring all enslaved people in Confederate States legally free, not everyone in Confederate territory would immediately be free. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control.
Such was the case in Galveston, Texas, the westernmost Confederate state, where it would take two and half years after the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation for news to travel that the enslaved Black people in the state were free by executive decree.
On June 19, 1865, some 2,000 Union troops under Gen. Granger arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas announcing that the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were now emancipated. Upon his arrival, he read out General Order Number 3, informing the residents that slavery would no longer be tolerated; all slaves were now free and would henceforth be treated as hired workers if they chose to remain on the plantations.
June 19th was then marked as "Juneteenth," by the newly freed people in Texas, marking it as the day of our country’s second independence day for future generations to celebrate. It is important to note, however, that it really was not until the passage of the 13th Amendment did emancipation end slavery throughout the United States.
Celebrating Juneteenth
Early on, Juneteenth celebrations often involved helping newly freed black folks learn about their voting rights, according to the Texas State Historical Association. Rodeos and horseback riding were also common.
Now, Juneteenth celebrations commonly involve cookouts, parades, church services, musical performances and other public events.
Juneteenth Today
Today, Juneteenth, as mentioned above, is still widely unknown by the American population. While many school curriculums do not place emphasis on this history, it still is very much an essential part of our collective history that deserves agency, recognition, and commemoration.
We honor and celebrate the day that all Black Americans became free, and we continue to strive for racial equality for all Black Americans as part of our mission in recognizing every face and every story here in Rensselaer County and beyond.
Below are some resources that we hope will allow you to discover ways to celebrate this African American cultural tradition of music, food and freedom.
National Museum of African American History & Culture
Juneteenth World Wide Celebration