![]() Other states may commemorate Juneteenth as a day of observance or in some other form. In addition to it being a federal holiday, at least 28 states and Washington, DC, will recognize it as a public holiday this year, according to the Pew Research Center. Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth a state holiday in 1980. Today, many African Americans mark Juneteenth with parties, parades and gatherings with family and friends. What began as an informal celebration of freedom by locals in Galveston eventually grew into a wider commemoration of the end of slavery as African Americans in Texas moved to other parts of the country. Lee surrendered to the Union Army at Appomattox Court House, Virginia - an event generally considered to be the end of the Civil War. It also came about two months after Confederate General Robert E. “This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.”įreedom for the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas, came two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which couldn’t be enforced in areas under Confederate control. “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free,” the order read. ![]() 3, proclaiming that the enslaved African Americans there were free. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. Opal Lee, the ‘grandmother of Juneteenth,’ becomes second Black American to have portrait hung in Texas statehouseĪ blend of the words June and nineteenth, it marks June 19, 1865: the day that Union Army Maj. Royce West, left, as her portrait is unveiled in the Texas Senate Chamber, Wednesday, Feb. Opal Lee, second from left, who worked to help make Juneteenth a federally-recognized holiday, reacts with state Sen. Juneteenth – also known as Juneteenth Independence Day, Freedom Day and Emancipation Day – commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. But there’s much more to Juneteenth than a long weekend and branded products.Īs Black Americans continue to face the same challenges and inequities that inspired so many to take to the streets in 2020, it’s worth reflecting on the history behind the holiday. With Juneteenth now a national holiday, many public and private sector employees enjoy an extra day off from work while brands and corporations capitalize on the event with celebratory marketing campaigns. In 2021, Juneteenth became the latest federal holiday in the US - the first to be approved since Martin Luther King Jr. The momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement propelled Juneteenth into the national spotlight, building on a decades-long push by activists and leaders to get recognition for the landmark occasion. Despite Juneteenth’s storied history, the holiday was largely overlooked by non-Black Americans until recent years.
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