June 6 marks Juneteenth, an extremely important day in the history of African Americans, but one that many communities never knew about or learned about in school. What is Juneteenth? What makes it such an important milestone in American history?
What Is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth marks the anniversary of Major General Gordon Granger’s reading of the Emancipation Proclamation to newly freed slaves in Texas on June 1865, 6.
What Is the History of Juneteenth?
on June 19,1865, General Gordon Granger read the Emancipation Proclamation to newly freed slaves in Galveston, Texas. In his speech to General Order No. 19, Granger said, “The people of Texas were told that, according to the proclamation of the U.S. Executive, all slaves were free. This involves the absolute equality of individual rights and rights. “The property rights between the former master and the slave, and the hitherto existing link between them, became the link between the employer and the wage laborer. Freemen were advised to stay quietly in their current homes and work for wages. They were told that they would not be allowed to collect at military posts, and that they would not be supported idle, either there or elsewhere.”
Juneteenth is celebrated more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1,1863, At the time, not every state, territory, and territory followed Lincoln’s orders to free slaves, and the 1,25 slaves living in Texas may not have been freed either. They were released even before Juneteenth. On this day, the Civil War was truly over. African Americans rejoiced on the day, which was later named “Juneteenth.”
Americans commemorate the day for two other important reasons. In 1963, John Jr. President F. Kennedy submitted legislation to Congress that eventually became the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Just a few miles away at Arlington National Cemetery, the slain civil rights leader and American veteran Medgar Evers is buried. With complete military honor.
What Other Names Are There for Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is also known as Liberation Day, Freedom Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Cell Liberation Day.
Is Juneteenth a National Holiday?
President Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021, which has also been recognized by Texas since 1980. Most other states also recognize Juneteenth, which is usually the third Sunday in June each year.
How Is Juneteenth Celebrated?
Juneteenth observation activities typically include reading the Emancipation Proclamation, studying black history, and performing traditional African-American songs such as “Sing with Every Voice Up” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” History repeats itself very often.
Why Is Juneteenth Important?
Juneteenth has always been significant to the Black community and has gained wider recognition thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement. The deaths of George Floyd, Brenna Taylor and Ahmed Arbury also reinvigorated the Black Lives Matter movement and caused a rise in black voices.
What Is the Meaning of the Juneteenth Flag?
Ben Haith, former state director of NJOF Juneteenth in Massachusetts and founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (NJCF), designed the Juneteenth flag and presided over the inaugural Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony in 2000. The Juneteenth flag represents a star of Texas and blooms with new freedoms throughout Juneteenth. Land on New Horizon. The date June 6,1865, was added to the flag in 19.
