Juneteenth Holiday
Contributor: I.D.E.A Culture & Climate Subcommittee
Juneteenth of Buffalo 2022 Theme: We Are Black History Since 1976
The History of Juneteenth
Juneteenth is celebrated annually on June 19th. This marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people were freed. The troops' arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The holiday received its name by combining June and 19th. The day is also sometimes called “Juneteenth Independence Day,” “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day.” Juneteenth honors the end of slavery in the United States and is considered the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
In 1863, slavery was abolished. However emancipation didn’t happen overnight for everyone—in some cases, enslavers withheld the information until after harvest season so that they could continue to use free slave labor. It took two and a half years AFTER slavery was abolished for African Americans in Texas to learn that they were free. Once this news was shared, celebrations broke out among newly freed Black people, and Juneteenth was born. The freed slaves in Texas started celebrating Juneteenth in 1866. These celebrations included prayer, food, song, dance, and dressing up. As slaves, African-Americans were not allowed to dress in nice clothing, sing and dance publicly or eat special foods. As Black people migrated from Texas to other parts of the country, the Juneteenth tradition spread.
The reason for the decline in Juneteenth celebrations?
Juneteenth celebrations in the United States declined in the 1960s, overshadowed by the civil rights movement. Without this day being recognized as a state holiday, it also became increasingly difficult to continue these traditions and have celebrations (especially if it fell on a week day) because African-Americans were not given paid time off from work.
How did Juneteenth regain its importance?
The holiday began to regain its importance in 1968 when the Poor People’s Campaign, originally led by Martin Luther King, Jr., held a Juneteenth Solidarity Day. Interest in Juneteenth continued to increase in the following decades, and the first state-sponsored Juneteenth celebration was held in Texas in 1980.
In recent years, and particularly following nationwide protests over police brutality and the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and other Black Americans, there is renewed attention and recognition of this important day in history that celebrates freedom.
Current Day
This once state-only holiday is now a Federal holiday. On June 17, 2021, 155 years after the freed slaves started celebrating in Texas, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was signed by President Joe Biden after being passed by the U.S. Senate & House of Representatives (with no opposing votes in the Senate); establishing June 19 as a federal holiday.
How is Juneteenth Celebrated today?
Juneteenth celebrations in the United States typically include prayer, religious services, speeches, educational events and family gatherings with food. In addition, there are festivals and parades with food, music and dancing. The day is also celebrated to recognize the end of slavery and African-American freedom, as well as to celebrate African-American culture and achievements.
Did you know that ….
- The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, had established that all enslaved people in Confederate states in rebellion against the Union “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” But in reality, the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t instantly free any enslaved people.
- The proclamation only applied to places under Confederate control and not to slave-holding border states or rebel areas already under Union control.
- After the war came to a close in the spring of 1865, General Granger’s arrival in Galveston that June signaled freedom for Texas’s 250,000 enslaved people.
- That December, slavery in America was formally abolished with the adoption of the 13th Amendment.
- In 1979, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday; several others followed suit over the years
Celebrating Juneteenth in Buffalo, NY. This year is the 46th consecutive year that Juneteenth has been celebrated in Buffalo, NY since it was first observed in 1976. The celebration was started in 1976 by a community-based organization, B.U.I.L.D. The celebration and festivities were held on Jefferson Avenue until it was moved to Martin Luther King, Jr. Park.
- We celebrate Juneteenth to acknowledge our past, help heal current division and move forward.
- It is a day worthy of celebration by every American. It is a day that our nation lives up to one of our greatest principles, a nation devoted to liberty for ALL, and honor the achievements of African Americans.
Celebration Opportunities
https://www.buffalojuneteenth.com
To Learn more about Juneteenth click the links below
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/what-is-juneteenth/
https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth
https://www.nytimes.com/article/juneteenth-day-celebration.html
https://www.juneteenth.com/history/
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