What is Juneteenth and How Did it Come to Be?
On June 19, 1865, almost two and a half years after issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved African Americans in Texas were finally told they were free. When Union General Gordon Granger and his troops made it to Galveston one of his first orders of business was to ensure the people who were enslaved were notified about their freedom by reading General Order #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."
Whether you call it Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, or the country's second Independence Day, Juneteenth is one of the most important anniversaries in our nation's history.
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Photo Courtesy of Library of Congress
I knew of this historic celebration and how the combination of June 19, makes up Juneteenth. I have to admit that there are 3 things I didn’t know about Juneteenth.
Fact 1:
Despite the Emancipation Proclamation which was issued on January 1, 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln two years prior, due to a lack of Union troops made the order difficult to enforce as well as slave owners of the Confederate who purposely withheld the information from their slaves in the South. Why tell a group of people who can’t read and write they are free and don’t have to work for free anymore?
Fact 2:
General Order #3 was an order to ask enslaved people to remain with their masters and work for their slave owners as hired laborers. While this would be a hard ask for people who have been mistreated by their slave owners and who to say conditions would be fair as employer and employee. However, another way to look at it is, as an enslaved person who doesn’t own any property or have any resources to make a living, staying as an “employee” may have sounded like a good idea.
Fact 3:
Even though the enslaved people were free, it was the beginning of what is now the fight for Civil Rights among all black people. On that day many people left the state of Texas and headed up north to search for family members that may have been taken to other regions during slavery. As well as join states that previously did away with slavery in search of a better life.
Photo courtesy of NYC trip 2022
How You Can Get Involved in Celebrating Juneteenth
As a black person living now in today’s society, I must say I try to make a good living for my family and teach my kids the importance of our history. I strive to set an example for them as well as to give them a head start in life, so they don’t have to endure some of the injustices that we still see today.
There have been many other steps taken since the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Juneteenth Celebration, but there is still more work to be done. We don’t have to look far to know that true freedom and equal justice for all are still works in progress for descendants of the enslaved but Juneteenth represents the celebration of progress and one day at a time we can continue those efforts for all Americans.
By supporting black businesses, and fighting for justice and equality for all Americans, you too can support the movement for all!
I hope this was informative and you learned something of significance. Remember all people have a history and some histories run deep. Have compassion for all and have a heart for success!