HISTORY OF JUNETEENTH
Origins
On June 19, 1865, the Union General Gordon Granger rode
into Galveston, Texas, to inform inhabitants of the Civil War's
end two months earlier. Two and a half years after Abraham
Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Granger's General Order
Number 3 finally freed the last 250,000 slaves whose bondage, due to the
minimal Union presence in the region, had been essentially unaffected by
Lincoln's efforts. June 19th—which was quickly shortened to "Juneteenth"
among celebrants—has become the African-American addendum to our national Independence Day, for, as Juneteenth jubilees remind us, the Emancipation Proclamation did not bring about emancipation, and the prevailing
portrayal of Independence Day ignores the ignominious incidence of slavery
entirely.
Evolution
Observance of Juneteenth has traditionally tended towards church-centered
celebrations featuring food, fun, and a focus on self-improvement and
education by guest speakers. Although initially associated with Texas and
other Southern states, the Civil Rights Era and the Poor People's March to
Washington in 1968, in particular, helped spread the tradition all across
America—to the extent that Milwaukee and Minneapolis now host two of the
largest Juneteenth celebrations in the nation.
Juneteenth Today
The state of Texas made Juneteenth an official holiday on Jan. 1, 1980 and
became the first to grant it government recognition. Several states have
since issued proclamations recognizing the holiday, but the Lone Star State
remains alone in granting it full state holiday status, a day when government employees have the day off. Nonetheless, supporters and celebrants of
Juneteenth continue to grow in number and in diversity; today, Juneteenth
is promoted not only as a commemoration of African-American freedom, but
as an example and encouragement of self-development and respect for all
cultures.