The enslaved human beings were kept in slavery for two more years after the emancipation. June 19th was the date that General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and announced the freedom of the enslaved. That event is worthy of Celebration!!
How Juneteenth Began
We went to the website of the University of South Florida [LINK] for some inside information on what started the Juneteenth holiday.
“Dating back to 1865, the holiday commemorates the day when 250,000 slaves in the state of Texas, which became the last bastion for slavery during the final days of the Civil War, were declared free by the U.S. Army.
“As soon as the following year, local festivities were organized in African American communities to celebrate and remember the significance of that day, June 19. The celebrations continued year after year.
“In the 20th century, as African Americans from Texas and neighboring states spread throughout the country, so too did Juneteenth celebrations. In 1980, Texas became the first to make it a state holiday. Shortly thereafter, other states followed suit, along with organizations and businesses across the nation hosting events and educational opportunities dedicated to commemorating the significance of this day.
“In 2021, the day became a national holiday.”
Juneteenth Became a Holiday
From Google we read the following: “Juneteenth is considered the oldest African American holiday and is a significant symbol of freedom and the end of slavery in the United States. It is celebrated with various festivities, including parades, picnics, historical reenactments, educational events, and cultural performances. Juneteenth became an official federal holiday in 2021.”
It was President Joe Biden who signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. It was signed on June 17th, 2021. Prior to that, Juneteenth had been celebrated across the US and particularly in Texas. There was a push for recognition by activists, and their drive for a national holiday was successful with President Biden signing the Act into law.
When Did Slavery Actually End?
We might wonder why the enslaved men and women in Texas were not freed with the emancipation proclamation. Apparently the so-called ‘owners’ did not inform their slaves, so the enslaved did not know they had been freed. As we look into it, we see that slavery did not end in other areas across the US as well. The emancipation proclamation did not accomplish the task. It took an amendment to the constitution, which Congress passed in 1865. Wikipedia [LINK] explains it to a degree:
“In the Civil War period, slavery came to an end in various areas of the United States at different times. Many enslaved Southerners escaped, demanded wages, stopped work, or took up arms against the Confederacy of slave states. In January 1865, Congress finally proposed the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution for the national abolition of slavery. By June 1865, almost all enslaved persons had been freed by the victorious Union Army or by state abolition laws. When the national abolition amendment was ratified in December, the remaining enslaved people in Delaware and in Kentucky were freed.”
We’re grateful that the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. History tells us that the exception, “as punishment for a crime”, was abused, and that too was something we had to change. It took many years, as we worked to remove the stain of slavery from our culture. The Juneteenth celebration allows us to show our gratitude to African Americans for enduring the long and hard battle to end something that should have never begun.
Yes, we celebrate Juneteenth at AMS, and yes, we do so with immense respect for the descendants of those who were enslaved. We’re grateful that Juneteenth gives every American the opportunity to celebrate the fact that the end of slavery finally did come. History shows us that we have the power to change the culture as we rise to a higher level of consciousness. We have the power to correct past wrongs and honor every human being, knowing the reality that we are One human family. Black history is American history. Happy Juneteenth to every American!
