June 19th is Juneteenth, a date commemorated by many African-Americans since the late 1800s. On this date in 1865, about two months after Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s surrender, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas. He informed people that the Civil War had ended and those enslaved in Texas were free. The enslaved people in Texas, about 250,000, were the last to learn about the South’s defeat and the end of the Civil War. President Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, and it went into effect, however imperfectly, on January 1, 1863. June 19th is also sometimes called Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, and although not an official federal holiday, it is recognized by 45 states and the District of Columbia as a holiday or observance.
UPDATE: June 17, 2021
Juneteenth is declared a Federal Holiday in the US. You can read more here.
Resources provided by Human Rights Team member Tonya Teichert are here:
- This is an archived PBS Blog that gives information about the history and background of Juneteenth.
- This is a website dedicated to all things Juneteenth! (mentioned in the article above). It has a bit of history and noted celebratory events. It is a good link to start with to get a sense of what it is about.
- This is an article that talks about not only the importance of the holiday, but makes some really glaring comparisons of what it has meant to wipe the holiday from history and education. A recommended read for everyone!
Sources:
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/what-is-juneteenth/
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44865.pdf
https://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm
https://www.nytimes.com/article/juneteenth-day-celebration.html