Celebrate Juneteenth, but also learn it's history and pass it on

Juneteenth is a Federal holiday, which means post offices, banks and municipalities are closed on that day.. There will be parades, community events, forums and many other events. I hope you take time to attend an event. But I urge you to learn why the day is important. Here is some information that you can use to build on your knowledge of Juneteenth.

The origins of Juneteenth date back to June 1865. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 and the Confederate army surrendered to the Union army in April 1865, enslaved people in Texas - the westernmost Confederate state - could not exercise their freedom until June 19, 1865. On that date, Union General Gordon Granger led some 2,000 Union troops, many of whom were Black, into Galveston Bay, where they announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as "Juneteenth," deriving its name from combining "June" and "nineteenth."

So for over two years, people in some parts of Texas were still living as Slaves even though other people throughout the Southern states were already living as free people.

Rev. Ronald V. Myers Sr., M.D. worked tirelessly to bolster the national movement to have Juneteenth declared a national holiday. Friends and family recall that Dr. Myers travelled to Washington, D.C. for more than 20 years, lobbying lawmakers to insist they recognize Juneteenth on both state and national levels. Even though Dr. Myers passed away in 2018, his organizing on the state level proved invaluable to the process of establishing a national observance of Juneteenth.

Juneteenth has always been more than a holiday. The day stands as a testament to and celebration of the unyielding spirit of a people. It is a day for introspection, a platform for education, and a tribute to the monumental contributions of African Americans to the history of this nation. Each year, as Juneteenth grows in popularity, there are festivals, parades, activist rallies, commemorative murals, vitally important discussions about race, and so much more. By celebrating Juneteenth, we foster connections, healing, and revitalization. And we pay tribute to the ongoing fight for social justice and racial equity.

Some excerpts taken from the

National Museum of African

American History & Culture