Juneteenth
JUNETEENTH
COMMEMORATED ANNUALLY ON JUNE 19TH, JUNETEENTH IS THE
OLDEST KNOWN CELEBRATION OF THE END OF SLAVERY IN THE U.S
THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION, ISSUED BY PRESIDENT
ABRAHAM LINCOLN ON SEP. 22, 1862, ANNOUNCED, THAT ON
THE 1ST DAY OF JANUARY, A.D. 1863, ALL PERSONS HELD AS SLAVES
WITHIN ANY STATE... IN REBELLION AGAINST THE U.S. SHALL BE
THEN, THENCEFORWARD AND FOREVER FREE. HOWEVER, IT WOULD
TAKE THE CIVIL WAR AND PASSAGE OF THE 13TH AMENDMENT TO
THE CONSTITUTION TO END THE BRUTAL INSTITUTION OF AFRICAN
AMERICAN SLAVERY.
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR ENDED IN APRIL 1865 MOST SLAVES IN TEXAS
WERE STILL UNAWARE OF THEIR FREEDOM, THIS BEGAN TO CHANGE
WHEN UNION TROOPS ARRIVED IN GALVESTON. MAJ. GEN,
GORDON GRANGER, COMMANDING OFFICER, DISTRICT OF TEXAS
FROM HIS HEADQUARTERS IN THE OSTERMAN BUILDING (STRAND
AND 22ND ST) READ "GENERAL ORDER NO. 3, ON JUNE 19, 1865
THE ORDER STATED THE PEOPLE OE 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 PERSONAL RIGHTS AND RIGHTS OF
PROPERTY BETWEEN FORMER MASTERS AND SLAVES WITH THIS
NOTICE, RECONSTRUCTION ERA TEXAS BEGAN
FREED AFRICAN AMERICANS OBSERVED "EMANCIPATION DAY," AS
IT WAS FIRST KNOWN, AS EARLY AS 1866 IN GALVESTON AS
COMMUNITY GATHERINGS GREW ACROSS. TEXAS, CELEBRATIONS
INCLUDED PARADES, PRAYER, SINGING, AND READINGS OF THE
PROCLAMATION IN THE MID-20TH CENTURY COMMUNITY
CELEBRATIONS GAVE WAY TO MORE PRIVATE COMMEMORATIONS A
RE-EMERGENCE OF PUBLIC OBSERVANCE HELPED JUNETEENTH
BECOME A STATE HOLIDAY IN 1979. INITIALLY OBSERVED IN TEXAS
THIS LANDMARK EVENT'S LEGACY IS EVIDENT TODAY BY
WORLDWIDE COMMEMORATIONS THAT CELEBRATE FREEDOM AND
THE TRIUMPH OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT.