Band performing in Texas for Emancipation Day, 1900. The Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas Libraries
The United States has a dark history of slavery. Unfortunately, this is something that is not talked about much. This includes the history of Juneteenth which is celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. It has taken more than 150 years for the national government to declare this day a national holiday. On June 17, 2021, Juneteenth was declared a national holiday in the United States. In 2022, the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles declared Juneteenth a holiday for City workers.
Here are 5 interesting facts about Juneteenth:
- The name Juneteenth comes from the combination of the words June and nineteenth. It is also known as “Juneteenth Independence Day”, “Freedom Day”, or “Emancipation Day”.
- On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation to abolish slavery. More than two years passed before this news reached the slaves who lived in Texas. On June 19, 1865, Union Army Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed the slaves that they were free.
- In 1980, the state of Texas was the first state to declare Juneteenth a state holiday. However, since 1866, Juneteenth has been celebrated informally by many.
- People usually celebrate Juneteenth with parades, music, picnics, church services, and other activities.
- The celebration of Juneteenth transcends borders. Juneteenth is celebrated at El Nacimiento in Coahuila, Mexico by the Mascogos population. This population are descendants of Africans from Texas and the indigenous group called Seminoles who fled to Mexico in the early 1800s. In Mexico, they are known as the Black Mascogo tribe and they celebrate Juneteenth every year.
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