By Peggy Sue McRae,
Journal contributor.
Juneteenth, this June 19, is a fairly new federal holiday in the United States made official with the signing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021. The seemingly imprecise name “Juneteenth” reflects the long and staggering way news of emancipation was delivered to the last remaining enslaved Americans.
Roughly four million people were enslaved in the United States when Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860. In response to the election of Lincoln southern states formed the Confederacy sparking the Civil War.
On January 1, 1863 Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation. Union soldiers began announcing emancipation but where the Confederacy was still entrenched abolition was impossible. It would be more than two years later before slaves in remote parts of Texas got the news.
Texas was the farthest reach and last bastion of the Confederacy. Finally, in June of 1865 Union General Gordon Granger entered Galveston, Texas with 1,800 troops. There he declared, “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” Five months later, on December 6 1865, the 13th amendment was ratified.
Not everyone got the news on the same day but emancipation was regularly celebrated on June 19. The combination of June and nineteen makes up Juneteenth. African Americans brought their Juneteenth traditions of backyard parties, parades, memorials, church events and BBQ with them as they moved into different parts of the country.
If like me, you are not African American, you may have only heard about Juneteenth recently and have no traditions connected to the holiday. For us, a thoughtful way to observe Juneteenth may be to learn something about Juneteenth and what our African American fellow citizens went through with slavery, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights movement.
Here are a few suggestions for observing Juneteenth. Books: Stop by our public library to check out the Juneteenth display. A few of my favorite titles include The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates and The Color Purple by Alice Walker.
On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed is a historian’s view of Juneteenth. Movies: Harriet – 2019, The story of Harriet Tubman, a former slave and abolitionist who led hundreds of slaves to freedom by way of the Underground Railroad. Starring Cynthia Erivo Oscar-nominated. Selma – 2014, Captures the fight for equal voting rights and the march on Selma during the Civil Rights movement. Stars David Oyelowo. Oscar-nominated. Miss Juneteenth – 2020, Mother and daughter clash over Juneteenth traditions. Starring Nicole Beharie.
