What is Juneteenth and Why is it Important?

Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated each year on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. It’s also sometimes known as Juneteenth Independence Day, Freedom Day, or Emancipation Day.

Juneteenth History

The name Juneteenth is short for June 19. On that date in 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, under the command of General Granger to announce the end of the Civil War — which had occurred two months before in Appomattox, Virginia — and the freeing of enslaved African-Americans. 

Despite Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and the North’s victory over the Confederacy, slavery was relatively unaffected in Texas before June 19. In fact, many slave traders from other states had come to Texas to continue plying their trade because Texas seemed, for a while, like a haven for slavery. That changed when Granger arrived bearing General Orders No. 3, which read: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free” and established a new relationship between former masters and slaves as “employer and hired labor.”

The history of Juneteenth illustrates the fact that emancipation was more of a gradual state-by-state deconstruction of an institution than an immediate effect of the Emancipation Proclamation. Even after General Orders No. 3, some of Texas’ 250,000 slaves were not informed of their freedom by their owners until after harvest season. It wasn’t until the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in December 1865, prohibiting slavery and involuntary servitude in all states, that slavery legally came to an end in the entire country.

When Did Juneteenth Start?

The first Juneteenth celebration was held in 1866 when new freedmen in Galveston organized music, barbeques, prayer services, and other activities to commemorate their year of freedom. The celebration continued on an annual basis and spread to other parts of the country as Black families traveled and relocated. Its observation rose and fell through the decades as other issues like World War II and desegregation took precedence but became a rallying concept for Black Americans’ progress toward equality in the 1970s.

On Jan. 1, 1980, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth a state holiday. Today, 46 states and the District of Columbia recognize it officially as a state holiday or special day of observance. Many major corporations in the United States also recognize Juneteenth by giving employees a paid day off or closing early. 

How is Juneteenth Celebrated Today?

Galveston has remained a hub of Juneteenth activities for 155 years, with parades, barbeques, concerts, a beauty pageant, and an annual pilgrimage of families of former slaves. Other cities, including Atlanta, D.C., and Philadelphia, also hold major events. Many other celebrations of freedom occur in backyards, where families reunite to share stories, spiritual readings, and hope. Traditionally, red drinks and red foods such as strawberry soda, barbeque, and red velvet cake are served at these celebrations — red is thought to be both a reminder of plants from the African homeland and a symbol of resilience. 

What is the Significance of Juneteenth Today?

Today, Juneteenth is celebrated as it has been for years, as a celebration of basic freedoms for all people. In this era of renewed attention to the remaining issues of liberty, discrimination, and inclusion, it also stands as a symbol of recognition that we are all still involved in critical progress toward equality that began more than 150 years ago. 

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