17 Jun 2022

Last year, the USA created a new federal holiday: Juneteenth. Juneteenth is short for June nineteenth (19th), which was the date in 1865 when the last African-American slaves in Texas were informed that they were legally freed by orders of the U.S. government. (Video: What is Juneteenth? – VOA)

From the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity:

“Juneteenth (a blending of the words June and nineteenth) is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. It is also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day and Cel-Liberation Day. It commemorates June 19, 1865, the day that Union Major General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and told slaves of their emancipation from slavery.  Texas was the last state in rebellion, following the end of the Civil War, to allow enslavement. Although the rumors of freedom were widespread prior to this, actual emancipation was not announced in the last state practicing enslavement until General Gordon Granger came to Galveston, Texas and issued General Order #3, on the “19th of June”, almost two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.”

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, but it has long been celebrated among the African American community.

Photo: Juneteenth day celebration in Texas. 1900.
National Museum of African American History and Culture

History of The TransAtlantic Slave Trade:

1813: Gradual emancipation adopted in Argentina. 1814: Gradual emancipation begins in Colombia. 1823: Slavery abolished in Chile. 1824: Slavery abolished in Central America. 1829: Slavery abolished in Mexico. 1831: Slavery abolished in Bolivia. 1833: Abolition of Slavery Act passed in Britain which results in complete emancipation by : Slavery abolished in Uruguay. 1848: Slavery abolished in all French and Danish colonies. 1851: Slavery abolished in Ecuador.
Map of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Slavery in the USA:

Although slavery existed in Africa, it was not lifelong or inherited “chattel” slavery, nor was it color-based.

When the U.S. government was first established, many people already believed that the system of slavery in the USA was wrong – in fact, they insisted on having some states in which slavery was not allowed. For “balance,” it was decided that there would be an equal number of “free” states and slaveholding states. Eventually, tensions over the existence of slavery in the U.S. led to the Civil War (1861-1865), and the Confederacy (southern, agricultural, slave-holding states) lost the war.

Important Black Historical Figures who promoted racial equality:

Current Leaders in Black Civil Rights Advocacy:

How to Celebrate Juneteenth

The celebration of Juneteenth started in the Black community in the USA, so their traditions must be respected during Juneteenth celebrations. As a summer holiday, Juneteenth is often celebrated as an outdoor parade in the community, followed by a food-sharing event for families and friends, often called a “barbecue” or a “cookout”. There are various dishes that are commonly served on Juneteenth – some are common to many Southern barbecues, while others are specifically for Juneteenth. In particular, red foods are significant to Juneteenth cookouts because they (1) represent the blood shed by African slaves during the long era of chattel slavery, and (2) red is an important color to the Yoruba and Kongo peoples, two groups that represented many of the enslaved people in Texas at that time.

  • Cookout!
  • Barbecue

More about Juneteenth: https://www.projectaccessnow.org/today-we-celebrate-juneteenth/

Juneteenth and Father’s Day

This year, Juneteenth is also on Father’s Day! Therefore, it is a perfect day to celebrate Black fathers.