Do you know what Juneteenth is?
It is the name for a holiday celebrating June 19, 1865, the day
when Union soldiers arrived in Texas and spread the word that
President Lincoln had delivered his Emancipation Procalamation.
News traveled so slowly in those days that Texas did not hear of
Lincoln’s Proclamation, which he gave on January 1, 1863, until
more than two years after it was issued!
The proclamation declared “that all persons held as slaves” within
the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.” Thus,
the Emancipation Proclamation was limited in many ways. It
applied only to states that had seceded from the Union, leaving
slavery untouched in the loyal border states. It also expressly
exempted parts of the Confederacy that had already come under
Northern control. Most important, the freedom it promised
depended upon Union military victory.
Although Juneteenth has been informally celebrated each year
since 1865, it wasn’t until June 3, 1979, that Texas became the
first state to proclaim Emancipation Day (Juneteenth) an official
state holiday. But it is much more than a holiday. Juneteenth has
become a day for African Americans to celebrate their freedom,
culture, and achievements. It is a day for all Americans to
celebrate African American history and rejoice in their freedom.
Official Juneteenth Committee, East Woods Park, Austin, Texas, June 19, 1900
JUNE 2015
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WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE
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