By Maddox Brown
Salutations,
On June 19th, just a couple of days after my writing this article, it will be “Juneteenth.” If you do not know what Juneteenth is about, then you came to the right place! Juneteenth is a holiday comemorating the end of chattel slavery in the United States. Other names the holiday goes by are, ‘Emancipation Day’ and ‘Juneteenth Independence Day’.
The History of Juneteenth:
Many people celebrate Juneteenth without knowing the full story of it and how it came to be. On June 19th, 1865, a couple of months after Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered in Appomattox, Virginia, a Union general by the name of Gordon Granger traveled to Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. 3, which (belatedly) informed roughly 250,000 enslaved African-Americans that the Civil War had come to an end, and that they were truly free and permanently released from their shackles. A fun fact about this announcement is that Black Texans were finally getting this important news more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln officially freed all enslaved blacks in the U.S. via the Emancipation Proclamation.
One year after General Granger’s momentous announcement, Juneteenth was first celebrated in Texas on June 19th, 1866. It became a yearly event to ceremoniously honor the day that enslaved African Americans finally had their overdue freedom guaranteed. It was such a significant anniversary that on June 7th, 1979–after being celebrated annually for over a century—Texas ratified a bill officially making “Juneteenth” a state holiday. Ironically, considering its conservative voting history, Texas became the first state to fully acknowledge Juneteenth as a state-sanctioned holiday, and later as a paid holiday for state employees.
Many other states soon followed Texas’s lead. Hawaii and North Dakota became among the last to put Juneteenth on state calendars as an annual holiday, only agreeing to do so this year. As of June 2021, South Dakota is the only state not to independently recognize the holiday. When will they make the decision? Who knows, but let’s not force them to do so.
Some of you (like me) may not have known this, but in 1997, the founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation created an original flag symbolizing the spirit of Juneteenth. This flag, as shown in the image below, has a dark blue background with a red arc going across the width of the flag and a white star positioned at the center of the flag with a thin white outline surrounding it yet giving it some distance to breathe. If you were observant enough, you would realize that the colors of this flag represent the colors of the traditional American flag. This was intentional, as it symbolizes a formerly enslaved population that rises up against adversity to assert their constitutional rights as free citizens.
The red arc of the flag symbolizes a new horizon that produces fresh and new opportunities and bright futures for Black Americans. The star represents the freedom of every African American in all 50 states. The outline surrounding the star is meant to be a dynamic nova which represents a new beginning for all. In 2007, the date of the initial Juneteenth was printed onto the flag.
How is it celebrated?
I hear you wonder, how is this holiday celebrated? Well, to celebrate, people all across the country gather and host parties, festivals, parades, and street fairs, with music. Some organizations like the Smithsonian Museum of African American Culture and History celebrate the occasion by hosting dedicated presentations on the history and significance of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth isn’t just a time for celebrations though. It is also a time for reflection and appreciation. Remembering and appreciating the many generations of African Americans who contributed to building the society we have today, and whose labor and sacrifices made possible the freedoms and opportunities the U.S. offers most of those who live, visit, or migrate here.
Various organizations also use this time to showcase and support various small Black-owned businesses which in this day and age have been hit hard due to the recent virus. In addition to boosting black businesses, they also encourage supporting Black artists by acknowledging their masterpieces, reading their books/poetry, and watching their movies.
Moving Juneteenth Towards Being a National Holiday
There had long been people hoping to make Juneteenth an official national holiday, anticipating educational benefits such as it promoting more culturally responsive teachings in schools, as well as their being able to use the day to raise awareness both in and outside of the black community about the spiritual and socioeconomic challenges that our ancestors struggled to endure.
However, when Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (with help from Senators, Edward Markey, and John Cornyn), tried to introduce a bill this year declaring Juneteenth as a national holiday there was some political push-back against the idea. Republican Ron Johnson notably sided with those against the bill, saying that “The bill would cost taxpayers millions,” and that “we are already in debt $28 trillion” with trillions more being added due to what he believes are Biden’s and the Democrats’ reckless proposals. Considering such complaints, it would have been logical to assume that no definitive decision about elevating Juneteenth would be made for a while.
Yet on Wednesday, June 16th, the bill to formally declare Juneteenth as a federal holiday was passed in Congress with a 415-14 vote. This win left 415 lawmakers vocally supportive of the bill, elaborating that even though the day reminds everyone of the injustice and outright brutality of American slavery, it also reminds us of our responsibility to build a better future of progress for all.
As for the 14 dissenting voters, they offered various reasons for why Juneteenth shouldn’t be a holiday. Some said there are already enough national holidays to celebrate, and that it just doesn’t meet the standard for being enshrined as a federal holiday. Other reasons given were that it will oppose Independence Day, and Americans would have to pick between celebrating June 19th or July 4th. Nevertheless, both the Senate and the House passed the bill, and on Thursday June 17th, President Joe Biden signed it into law. This makes Juneteenth only the 11th federal holiday in US history.
Epilogue
Juneteenth is a day to recognize the achievement of African Americans and celebrate the obstacles that we have overcame during our lifetimes. I encourage you to celebrate this holiday with your family and friends and generally have a very jolly time. Now with this, I bid you adieu.