Celebrating Juneteenth

What is Juneteenth?

  • On January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation
  • Two and a half years later, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers pulled up at Galveston, Texas, with word that the Civil War was over and that those enslaved in Confederate states were now free
  • The celebration of this day of liberation on June 19th, is called Juneteenth or Freedom Day
  • It took the 13th Amendment in December 1865 to officially end slavery nationwide
  • President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17, 2021, recognizing June 19 as the national day to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
  • Celebrations include family gatherings, barbecues, picnics, parades, and street fairs with public readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, singing of traditional songs and Miss Juneteenth contests.

Why Do We Celebrate Juneteenth?

  • The reality is that on Independence Day, July 4, 1776, not everyone was free. Juneteenth symbolizes a day of liberation for African American people in the United States
  • Juneteenth is a way for African Americans to celebrate their cultural preservation and resiliency after nearly 400 years of European colonization and slavery
  • Juneteenth is our collective history and our story. It should be celebrated as a day of remembrance by all of us, as Americans.

Now That You Know

  • Read more about Juneteenth
  • If you didn’t know about Juneteenth (or the Black Wallstreet Massacre in Tulsa) then study African American history and read books by Black authors and poets
  • Watch Ava DuVernay’s documentary about the 13th Amendment, 13th, on Netflix
  • Ask your employer to join Nike, Twitter, and the NFL in recognizing Juneteenth as an official company holiday
  • Shop in Black-owned businesses, eat in Black-owned restaurants, buy art from Black artists
  • Drink strawberry soda, eat red velvet cake, strawberries, red beans and rice, and watermelon—all traditional Juneteenth foods—because red symbolizes perseverance

Local Juneteenth Events

Click here for a listing of local Juneteenth celebration events.

 

“Won’t it be wonderful when Black history and Native American history and Jewish history and all of U.S. history is taught from one book. Just U.S. history.”—Maya Angelou