Juneteenth

If you haven’t read my post on why I am an abolitionist, I would click here before you continue on. Are you back? Okay…let’s continue. The 19th century proved to be an arduous time for blacks in America. Why, you may ask? The 19th century abolitionist movement was charting into new territory. Before the civil war began, slaves were starting to rise up to defend themselves against an oppression that had been around for 400 years. It was the beginning of their “civil” rights war. The anti-slavery societies were finally able to witness the ending of slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation (signed January 1, 1863) by Abraham Lincoln was the victory the movement was fighting for. Finally, blacks could rejoice because they were no longer property of white slave owners. But there was a problem? Not everyone had been informed of the ending of slavery.

While the Civil War ended in May of 1865 , slavery was still in effect in Texas. As the country began its recovery from the Civil War, Texas slaves were finally made aware that freedom from white slaves owners was theirs. As stated earlier , The Emancipation Proclamation was signed January 1, 1863. But Texas slaves didn’t find this out until 2 1/2 years later. That date: June 19, 1865.

Juneteenth

June 19, 1865, union troops landed on the beaches of Galveston, Texas. The union troops (led by Major General Gordon Granger) brought the news that slavery had in fact ended. With the news being delivered by the troops, it ensured that the Executive Order would be carried out. There was much resistance from the southern troops — for obvious reasons, but with enough union troops to enforce the order, there was much celebration to be had. This celebration is known as Juneteenth. Juneteenth is the oldest celebration that commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 2014, the Senate — along with President Obama, marked “Juneteenth” as a national holiday.

I remember having a conversation with a friend in 2001 who asked, “Why do black people celebrate Juneteenth?” My friend is from Florida and he had never heard of it until moving to Texas. At that time I realized I didn’t understand the significance as well. Having a party at the park was just something I grew up in Texas doing.  Luckily we were able to search to find why black people from around Texas celebrate June 19th every year.

Learn and Celebrate

If you are looking for a great time to learn and celebrate, find a black-owned restaurant and become a patron. If you have any black friends who celebrate Juneteenth, go and celebrate with them. This past weekend has already yielded many opportunities for celebration, but don’t think June 19th will be laid bare in its celebratory activites. It is beneficial for every American to celebrate Juneteenth. We celebrate other unofficial holidays that have no reference to American culture…this would be a great start.

Since Black History is American History, all students should be made aware of their country’s history. If you would love for your students to be well-informed — and you live in the Central Texas area, take them to the History of Texas Bullock Museum on June 19th. If you visit the Texas Capitol grounds you can also see Texas African-American History Monument (Pictured above). It is a beautiful monument detailing the history of blacks in the state of Texas–including before and after June 19, 1865.

Hope you all learn and celebrate well.