Juneteenth – What Is It And Why It Is Important

An important observances in the United States is ‘Juneteenth.’ A portmanteau of the words ‘June’ and ‘Nineteenth,’ the day marks the oldest official nation-wide celebration of the end of slavery. To put it simply, this is the day when a Union General Gordon Granger came Texas and announced the end of the civil war and the freed status of the slave. This sparked a series of events that ultimately liberated thousands of people to be able to choose the lives they wanted to live. Juneteenth is a highly regarded event in the history of America, and more specifically the history of African Americans in the country.

The chain of events leading up to Juneteenth is quite the interesting one. In reality, the then President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation on the 1st of January in 1863, which declared slavery illegal and emancipated all slaves. However, the news did not reach all parts of the country equally. While many of the northern states implemented the rule immediately, some in the south remained in the dark – which meant that over 250,000 enslaved persons remained to suffer in slavery over 2 years after it was formally abolished.

All of this began to unravel when Union General Gordon Granger arrived at Galveston in Texas on 19th June 1865, and officially announced that slavery was in fact outlawed in all states – even the former confederate ones (like Texas). The Mayor of Galveston, however, refused to believe General Granger and continued to enforce slavery, instead falsely stating that the power to decide to free slaves rested in the hands of the plantation owners. While a major upheaval did ensure that wouldn’t happen, those who were emancipated were continued to be oppressed by other means such as being hanged or shot for made-up “charges” (like expecting fair treatment from their employers or being legally employed in the first place). Thus began a struggle to erase these unfair practices – one that continues even today.

Juneteenth is clearly in a crucial moment in the history of African Americans. Not to mention a lesson of its own when it comes to social justice. But it is more than that. Juneteenth marks the undying spirit of freedom, and the power of trying – even against the direst of circumstances. For instance, in the earlier days, several states refused to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday, and Black communities were forced to celebrate it in secrecy. While these developments were not what anyone had in mind after being legally freed, it meant that people kept trying to push boundaries and make the best of what they had.

Today, Juneteenth is celebrated all over the United States, and sometimes also in other countries such as Mexico, which have their own personal connection to the event. With roots that run deep into our nations history, as well as the emotions evoked and relevance to this day, President Joe Biden has now made Juneteenth an official Federal Holiday.