Juneteenth
Juneteenth:
The Juneteenth festival commemorates the day, June 19, 1865, when slaves in Galveston, Texas, finally discovered they could emancipate themselves.
Year | Date | Day | Where |
2023 | 19th June | Monday | United States |
2023 | 19th June | Wednesday | United States |
2025 | 19th June | Thursday | United States |
Twitter Hashtags:
#Juneteenth
Why Juneteenth?
In May 2020, tens of thousands of people protested in the streets across the country in response to the death of Black man George Floyd, 46, who passed away while in the care of the Minneapolis Police. Floyd died while being held by the Minneapolis Police. Together with Ms. Taylor, Mr. Arbery, David McAtee, and others, Mr. Floyd’s name spread like wildfire across the nation, rejuvenating the Black Lives Matter movement.
Freedom was finally attained on June 19, 1865, one day after 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. According to the army, the more than 250,000 African people who were held in slavery in the state were freed by executive order. The term “Juneteenth” originated with the recently freed Texans.
We experienced phases of transition. Officers are now obligated to intervene and document any incidents of excessive force in Minneapolis, where it is now illegal for law police to conduct chokeholds and strangulations. A comprehensive piece of legislation to combat racial bias and bad police behaviour will be introduced, according to Democrats in Congress.
The proposal demanded the broadest police involvement ever supported by a legislature. All businesses demonstrated their support for the Black Lives Matter movement by suspending or firing workers who made disrespectful comments about the killing of Mr. Floyd. Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, was convicted of two counts of murder in April 2021 in connection with the demise of Mr. Floyd. Nonetheless, many city dwellers claim that even after two years, real development has still remained sluggish.
Interesting Facts About Juneteenth:
- The commemoration of the abolition of slavery in the United States began with this holiday.
- A book written by Ralph Ellison is titled Juneteenth. Also, Ann Rinaldi and Carolyn Meyer put a lot of attention on the day in their other writings.
- The first state to proclaim the holiday deserving of statewide recognition was Texas in 1980.
- Activist Opal Lee, a nonagenarian who began travelling from state to state to raise awareness of the matter in 2016, was instrumental in getting Congress to pass legislation making Juneteenth an official holiday in 2021. President Biden signed the bill on June 17, 2021.
- While Juneteenth was regularly recognised in some places, its popularity didn’t really take off until several churches with a Black majority became engaged. Juneteenth festivities are widely practised in Christian groups today, particularly in the South.
- Due to Texas’ isolation and non-participation in the Civil War, slave owners used their captives even after they gained freedom to complete one more planting season.
- Some slaveholders left their homes during the war and moved to Texas to avoid the bloodshed. By taking thousands of slaves with them, they considerably increased the number of slaves. The fact that almost 250,000 enslaved Texans had actually been freed two years prior was unknown.
- Miss Junteenth pageants are held in several cities and organisations.
- Even though the term Juneteenth is a fantastic pun, the festival’s original name was “Jubilee Day.” Even though Juneteenth was first celebrated in 1866, the name began to catch on as word of the celebration spread.
- Once upon a time, the holiday was connected to the strawberry soda drink that was once very popular.
- More than 250,000 slaves were freed, according to history, when American General Gordon Granger delivered the news upon his arrival in Galveston in June 1865.
- A Freedom Flag is present for Juneteenth. Red and blue, it is decorated with a star in the centre. A flag-raising ceremony is held in Galveston to commemorate Juneteenth every year.
How Can We Observe Juneteenth:
- familial get-togethers
A significant component of the Juneteenth celebration is the assembly of family and friends. Family reunions help to strengthen and reunite ancestral relationships because slavery caused thousands of families to be split apart. As a way to remember, gather a few of your family this year.
- Investigate Juneteenth’s past.
Many people are not aware of the whole meaning and history of Juneteenth, despite the fact that it has been celebrated for hundreds of years. The time is here to do your homework.
- Browse writings and poetry by Black authors.
Black authors and poets are inspiring a new generation of activists and volunteers. One such author is Amanda Gorman, who at Joe Biden’s inauguration as president captivated the world with her poem about optimism, “The Hill We Climb.”
- Contribute to community and charitable groups run by Black people.
Historically, black-led organisations have helped activist communities across the nation. By giving to organisations that are aware of and actively working to meet the needs of the Black community, we can honour Juneteenth.
History Of Juneteenth:
Since the late 1800s, African Americans have commemorated Juneteenth as the day when slavery was finally abolished in the United States following the Civil War. After worldwide protests following the police killings of Black Americans like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in the summer of 2020 and revived interest in the day, A bill designating Juneteenth, which falls on June 19, a federal holiday was signed by President Biden last year.
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued in 1863 during the American Civil War, declared more than three million slaves who were residing in Confederate states free. But, it would be more than two years before African Americans in Texas were informed. The end of slavery in Texas wasn’t made known to the populace until Union troops arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865. Soon, the former slaves began to celebrate with prayer, feasting, music, and dancing.
The following June 19 saw the start of the first Juneteenth celebrations in Texas. During the early celebrations, spiritual songs were sung, prayer gatherings were conducted, and visitors wore new clothing as a symbol of their recently attained independence. Soon after, Black Americans in other states joined in on the celebration, making it an annual tradition. In the United States, celebrations have continued into the twenty-first century. Today, they frequently include prayer and religious services, speeches, educational programmes, family get-togethers and picnics, and festivals with music, food, and dance.
Recent years have seen a rise in Juneteenth festivities’ acceptance across the nation. The fact that this year’s celebrations take place little over a month after one of the deadliest racist killings in contemporary American history—the shooting deaths of 10 Black people at a Buffalo grocery store by a white gunman—means that the holiday may have a different meaning this year.