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Juneteenth: Juneteenth Celebration
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Juneteenth... known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is an annual holiday in fourteen states of the United States. Celebrated on June 19, it commemorates the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas. The holiday originated in Galveston, Texas; for more than a century, the state of Texas was the primary home of Juneteenth celebrations. However, one small community in Arkansas (Wilmar) boasts that its celebration, called "June Dinner" has been consistently observed and celebrated, except for one year, since approximately 1870. Since 1980, Juneteenth has been an official state holiday in Texas. 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.[1] Thirteen other states list it as an official holiday, including Arkansas, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Alaska.
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Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. The origins of the observance trace back to 1865 in Galveston, Texas. Since then, the observance of June 19 as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. While Juneteenth commemorates freedom, its focus has expanded to highlight achievements in the African American community and the importance of continuing education. The theme for this year’s event in Chandler is, “Juneteenth: More Than An Event, It's An Experience."
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Though Juneteenth has its origins in Texas, it has grown to become a holiday celebrated nation-wide. Juneteenth "began" on June 19, 1865, as the Civil War was drawing to a close. (The last Confederate land forces surrendered by June 1865; Lee's Army had surrendered in April.) Though the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect on January 1, 1863, it was not recognized or enforced in the south until after the war. (The Emancipation Proclamation freed all the slaves in the seceeding states--but because the states in secession did not recognize the authority of the Union, they did not consider the document legally binding and did not comply.) So, even though the Union tried to emancipate the slaves in 1863, many slaves were not freed until much later--in this case, June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger and his troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced and enforced the emancipation of the slaves in Texas. There was a spontaneous celebration at this announcement, and the first planned celebration was held the following year.
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The oldest and largest Juneteenth festival outside Texas, San Francisco's celebration had a distinctly local flavor Saturday. Mixed with the African American cultural offerings were Tibetan jewelry, Filipino lumpia and pamphleteers from the San Francisco Green Party.
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Juneteenth Celebrations were held informally for 114 years. In 1978 State Representative Al Edwards of Houston, Texas envisioned that blacks could have a formal celebration of emancipation from slavery. During his first year as a legislator, he authored the most meaningful piece of legislation for the black community that had ever existed in the history of Texas or any other state. He wrote and lobbied to get passed into law the bill making June 19th a legal state holiday, the first official black holiday in the United States. After numerous setbacks and hard work Rep. Edwards pushed the bill through successful votes of the Texas House of Representatives and Senate within the last twenty-four hours of Texas' 66th Legislative Session. At a memorable and historical ceremony on the grounds of Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, hundreds of supporters witnessed the bill's being signed into law by Governor William P. Clements on June 13, 1979.
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Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas the following year. Within a few years they had spread to other states and became 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.
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Juneteenth Celebration