Juneteenth

Juneteenth, officially Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated each year on June 19 to remember the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday gets its name from the date, June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas after the American Civil War.

During the Civil War, slavery ended in different places at different times. By June 1865, most enslaved people had been freed by the Union Army or state laws. The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was proposed in January 1865 to end slavery nationwide, and it was ratified in December 1865.

The first Juneteenth celebrations began in 1866 in Texas, with community gatherings focused on food, culture, and freedom. These celebrations spread across the South and later to the rest of the country. Juneteenth became less popular during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s but grew again in the 1970s as people celebrated African-American history and culture.

In 2021, Juneteenth was made an official federal holiday when the 117th U.S. Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. It was the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created in 1983. Today, Juneteenth is celebrated not only in the United States but also by the Mascogos, descendants of Black Seminoles who escaped slavery and settled in Coahuila, Mexico.

Celebrations and traditions

Juneteenth is celebrated each year on June 19 as a special holiday in the United States. It marks the end of slavery and is often called the "longest-running African-American holiday" and "America's second Independence Day." People celebrate to honor this history, learn more about it, and keep the spirit of freedom alive.

Traditionally, people enjoyed activities like baseball, fishing, and rodeos. Since public places were not always open to everyone, celebrations often happened at churches or outdoors near water. Big meals and wearing nice clothes were important parts of the festivities. Many people made a trip to Galveston, Texas, where the news of freedom was first shared.

Today, Juneteenth is celebrated in many places with colorful events. People gather for picnics, rodeos, street fairs, cookouts, family reunions, park parties, historical reenactments, blues festivals, and special contests. Traditional songs like "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "Lift Every Voice and Sing" are sung, and stories by famous writers such as Ralph Ellison and Maya Angelou are read. Red foods and drinks, like red velvet cake and strawberry soda, are served to show strength and happiness. Celebrations also include learning about African-American culture, with lectures, exhibitions, and retelling important stories. Many people also enjoy soul food and barbecue together.

History

On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln announced that the Emancipation Proclamation would go into effect on January 1, 1863, promising freedom to enslaved people in all of the rebellious parts of Southern states of the Confederacy including Texas. Enforcement of the Proclamation generally relied upon the advance of Union troops. Texas, as the most remote state of the former Confederacy, had seen an expansion of slavery because the presence of Union troops was low as the American Civil War ended; thus, the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation had been slow and inconsistent there prior to Granger's order. In June 19, 1865, was 900 days after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, 71 days after Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union on April 9, 1865, and 24 days after the disbanding of the Confederate military department covering Texas on May 26, 1865.

During the American Civil War (1861–1865), emancipation came at different times in different parts of the Southern United States. Large celebrations of emancipation, often called Jubilees, took place on several dates. When emancipation finally came to Texas, on June 19, 1865, as the southern rebellion collapsed, celebration was widespread. While that date did not actually mark the unequivocal end of slavery, even in Texas, June 19 came to be a day of shared commemoration across the United States of slavery's wartime demise.

On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived on the island of Galveston to take command of federal troops to enforce the emancipation of enslaved people. The order informed all Texans that, in accordance with a Proclamation from the United States, all enslaved people were free.

Formerly enslaved people in Galveston rejoiced after this news. One year later, on June 19, 1866, they organized the first of what became annual commemorations. Early celebrations were used as political rallies to give voting instructions to newly freed African Americans. Other independence observances occurred on January 1 or 4.

In the early 20th century, economic and political forces led to a decline in Juneteenth celebrations. From 1890 to 1908, Texas and all former Confederate states passed new laws that effectively excluded Black people from the political process. White-dominated state legislatures passed laws imposing second-class status. The Great Depression forced many Black people off farms and into the cities to find work, where they had difficulty taking the day off to celebrate.

Juneteenth soon saw a revival as Black people began tying their struggle to that of ending slavery. In the late 1970s, the Texas Legislature declared Juneteenth a state holiday. In 1979, Democratic State Representative Al Edwards of Houston successfully sponsored legislation to make Juneteenth a paid Texas state holiday.

In 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday's name is a combination of June and nineteenth, referring to June 19, 1865, the day when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the American Civil War.

The Juneteenth Flag

In 1997, an activist named Ben Haith created the Juneteenth flag, and an artist named Lisa Jeanne Graf helped design it. In 2000, the flag was first raised at Roxbury Heritage State Park in Boston. The star in the middle stands for the state of Texas and the spread of freedom for all African Americans across the country. The burst around the star looks like a bright explosion in space, called a nova, and the red curve stands for a new beginning. The colors red, white, and blue match the American flag, showing that African Americans and their ancestors are part of America and believe in freedom and fairness for everyone.

Legal observance

State and local holiday

Texas was the first state to make Juneteenth an official day in 1980. Over the years, more states began to recognize this holiday. By 2019, 47 states and the District of Columbia recognized Juneteenth in some way. Only Texas made it a paid holiday for state workers as of 2020.

Many cities and counties also honored Juneteenth. For example, New York City made it an official city holiday with schools closed. Cook County in Illinois made it a paid holiday for county workers. Other places like Honolulu and Portland also recognized the day in different ways.

Federal holiday

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in the United States. After many years of efforts by activists and lawmakers, the Senate passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 15, 2021. The House of Representatives approved it the next day.

President Joe Biden signed the bill on June 17, 2021, making Juneteenth the eleventh federal holiday. Federal workers now get the day off each year on June 19. If June 19 falls on a weekend, workers get the nearest Friday or Monday off instead. Post offices, banks, stock markets, and many schools and businesses close for the holiday.

States and Juneteenth paid holiday

State or insular area	First official observance	Paid state holiday adopted
Alaska	2001	2024
California	2003	2022
Colorado	2004	2022
Connecticut	2003	2023
Delaware	2000	2021
District of Columbia	2003	2021
Georgia	2011	2022
Idaho	2001	2021
Illinois	2003	2021
Kentucky	2022	2024
Louisiana	2003	2021
Maine	2011	2021
Maryland	2014	2022
Massachusetts	2007	2022
Minnesota	1996	2023
Missouri	2003	2022
Nebraska	2009	2022
Nevada	2011	2022
New Jersey	2004	2020
New Mexico	2006	2022
New York	2004	2020
Ohio	2006	2021
Oregon	2001	2021
South Dakota	2021	2022
Tennessee	2007	2023
Texas	1938	1980
Utah	2016	2022
Vermont	2007	2024
Virginia	2007	2020
Washington	2007	2021