By: Chloe Israel On June 17th, 2021, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, establishing Juneteenth as the US’s 11th federal holiday. Despite Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday just this year, it has been a recognized holiday for over 150 years. I remember every Juneteenth, my family would hold a barbeque to celebrate, yet none of my friends would do the same. It seems that black families and communities have celebrated Juneteenth for years, yet it hasn’t become popularized until recently. The question for many is what exactly is Juneteenth? And why is it so important to commemorate? In 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the states under Confederate control. Yet for most slaves, the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t instantly free every single slave. Even when the 13th Amendment passed and abolished slavery in early 1865, many Southern states continued to keep slaves. In Texas, there was little to no fighting and a small presence of Union troops, which allowed slavery to continue. However, on June 19th, 1865, General Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to secure the state for the Union. His arrival brought an official end to slavery in Texas, freeing 250,000 slaves. Freedmen in Texas organized a celebration the next year on June 19th to commemorate this event and it soon became an annual tradition. While Juneteenth may have started as a local tradition in Texas, it soon spread and became a celebrated holiday in black communities across the US.
Juneteenth’s legacy marks a significant time in our history. It symbolizes the official end of legal slavery in the US. It was the beginning of the Reconstruction period, in which former slaves began to build lives for themselves. During this period freedmen reunited with their families, established schools, got jobs, became homeowners, ran for political offices, and gained the right to vote. While they still faced discrimination and racial violence, it marked a step forward for equality. Most importantly, Juneteenth is a celebration of hope. Hope that black people in the US can gain true equality instead of facing racism and discrimination. We need to raise awareness for Juneteenth and show our support for equality. Now that Juneteenth has gained the attention it deserves, we can use the awareness to spread the message of freedom and make sure it’s never forgotten.
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