Juneteenth: A Holiday That Is Evolving Alongside the Nation
Observed by some African Americans since the late 1800s, Juneteenth commemorates the day when news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached Texas. For a while, this annual celebration of freedom was not well known to most Americans. However, nationwide protests over the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans, a growing commitment to understanding racial injustice, and the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement have brought the holiday to a new level of prominence.
Here’s what you should know about this holiday:
Is Juneteenth an official holiday in the United States?
On June 18, 2021, President Biden signed into law a measure that made Juneteenth the nation’s 11th federal holiday.
What is the history behind this holiday?
On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that “all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.” But not everyone heard the news.
In Texas, it would be more than two years before enslaved African Americans found out that they were free. On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced General Order No. 3:
“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”
Where does the name “Juneteenth” come from?
The word “Juneteenth” is a combination of June and nineteenth. The holiday is officially known as “Juneteenth National Independence Day,” and is also referred to as Emancipation Day and Freedom Day. Juneteenth has also been called “our country’s second independence day.”
What is the public opinion about Juneteenth?
According to a Gallup poll taken in 2021, nearly 70% of Black Americans said they had at least some knowledge about the holiday, compared to 31% of white Americans. Roughly half (49%) of all Americans said they believed Juneteenth should be taught in public schools.
A similar Gallup poll taken in 2022 showed how the public understanding of Juneteenth had changed since 2021:
How is Juneteenth celebrated?
Traditionally, the holiday is celebrated with music, dance, picnics, prayers, and parades.
For some time, little interest for Juneteenth celebrations existed outside the African American community. Early resistance to the holiday went as far as barring the use of public property for Juneteenth festivities. The Poor Peoples March to Washington D.C., organized after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, gave protesters from across the country the opportunity to gather and disseminate the traditions of Juneteenth to areas where it was lesser known.
Here are some ways to celebrate the spirit of Juneteenth:
Participate in Juneteenth events in your local area. For example:
The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture will be hosting a Juneteenth Community Day. Visitors of all ages can hear stories, enjoy music and food, and make crafts.
Juneteenth UnityFest in Brooklyn is an annual event that features music and storytelling.
Read books by Black poets and authors. Here are ten Black authors that everyone should read.
Teach your friends and family members of all ages about the history of Juneteenth:
This collection of PBS programs tells the history of Juneteenth and shows the joy of communities coming together in celebrations of independence.
And this video from PBS Learning Media offers a kid-friendly lesson about the significance of this holiday.
The end of slavery did not end the disenfranchisement of African Americans in the United States. Against All Odds: The Fight for the Black Middle Class examines the brutal discrimination that has made it extremely difficult for African-Americans to establish a middle-class standard of living, while also exploring the heroic efforts of Black families to pursue the American Dream in the face of unrelenting barriers.
If you would like to support Black-owned businesses, you might find this list of directories compiled by the United States Chamber of Commerce helpful.
This is a version updated in 2023 of an article originally published in 2021.
