First of all, how are you all doing? I hope you're staying safe and well during our pandemic, and through all the violence and craziness of the past few weeks.
Usually I don't like to do strictly-American holidays, but in light of the recent protests and calls for equality from the Black and Brown community in the US and around the world, I wanted to honor the importance of this day, Juneteenth, in the culture and history of Black America and of the United States. I admit that I didn't even know anything about this wonderful celebration until this year, so I'm happy that I could learn about it.
Juneteenth
Alternate Name: Cel-Liberation Day, Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day
Date: June 19th
Place: United States
Type: Cultural
Celebrants: African-Americans
This holiday has its origins in the American Civil War and the liberation of slaves. On January 1st, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation declared that on that day "all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State" that was in rebellion against the United States (most of the South) "shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States...will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons...in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom."
The Proclamation was greeted with joy by former slaves and anti-abolitionists, and it provided moral and political weight to the Union's cause, definitively turning the Civil War into a war about ending slavery, despite what the Confederacy claimed about states' rights. It also allowed black men to serve in the Union army. The Emancipation Proclamation is an important document in the history of human freedom, but it didn't go far enough: it abolished slavery in the rebellious territories, but not the areas of the South that had already come under Union control, nor the loyal border states that had never seceded. Also, obviously, such a proclamation was ignored by the Confederates and couldn't be enforced unless the Union won the war.
Over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, in April 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union army at Appomattox Court House in Virginia, officially ending the Civil War, though pockets of fighting continued for several months. In June, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, the last stronghold of the Confederacy, and on June 19th, 1865, he put the Emancipation Proclamation into effect by declaring, "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..."
Granger's declaration, which urged former slaves to "remain quietly" on their plantations, and also stated that their relationship to their former masters was now to be one of employers and hired workers, was met with jubilation by former slaves. Though many whites in Texas would continue to treat African-Americans as they had before, and many were killed for trying to assert their newfound freedom, former Texan slaves and their descendants continued to celebrate June 19th -- later conflated to "Juneteenth." A son of a former slave described the reasoning like this: "[t]he 19th of June wasn’t the exact day the Negro was freed. But that’s the day they told them that they was free … And my daddy told me that they whooped and hollered and bored holes in trees with augers and stopped it up with [gun] powder and light and that would be their blast for the celebration."
Juneteenth became a day to celebrate freedom and family, especially in Texas; former slaves would bring their families to Galveston, Texas on June 19th as a type of pilgrimage. African-Americans would gather each year in rural areas, such as on the banks of rivers or in empty fields to commemorate the day they were declared free, often dressing in their Sunday best, eating food cooked in a barbecue pit. In 1872, African-American ministers and businessmen bought 10 acres of land in Houston and turned it into Emancipation Park, which now holds an annual Juneteenth celebration. As now-freepersons, African-Americans were able to travel on their own, heading into Louisiana, Arkansas, California, and up North to look for family members and start a new life, bringing the joy and celebrations of Juneteenth with them.
Today, many black families celebrate with one another in their own backyards, firing up the grill for barbecue, but many cities across the US -- including Galveston and Houston; Atlanta, Georgia; and Washington, D.C. -- hold parades, concerts, and festivals to mark the occasion. In 1980, Texas declared Juneteenth an official holiday, and 45 other states as well as D.C. have followed suit; there have also been calls to make it a national holiday. Juneteenth celebrations usually involve fun summertime activities, such as baseball, fishing, and rodeos, but also prayer services and guest speakers, since the day is also about education and self-improvement, and promoting "knowledge and appreciation of African American history and culture."
Other days are also considered, and in some places celebrated, as Emancipation Day such as Jan. 1st, the date of the Emancipation Proclamation; Jan. 31st; the date the 13th Amendment, which officially abolished slavery, passed Congress in 1865; April 3rd, when the the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, fell; April 9th, when Lee surrendered; or April 16th, the day slavery was abolished in the nation’s capital in 1862. Juneteenth, however, is the most prominent, perhaps aided by its proximity to the Summer Solstice (June 20th or 21st), a day where light and warmth are strongest, an inspiring symbol of the new dawn for slaves in 1865, and the light that we as a country and a society are still moving towards.
As always, thank-you so much for stopping by! If I've made a mistake anywhere or there's something about this holiday you would like me to add, please let me know! I'm always looking for ways to improve and for more holidays, festivals, and celebrations to learn about. I hope you and your families stay safe and healthy.
Until next time!
References:
https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation
https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation/transcript.html
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robert-e-lee-surrenders
https://www.nytimes.com/article/juneteenth-day-celebration.html
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/what-is-juneteenth/
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