They all said those Texans were late in getting the news that it had freed them. His elegant words had no chance of being heard in the slave-holding states, and they were ignored. Why Is It Called Juneteenth? 4 Interesting Facts You Might Not About two and a half years after Lincoln issued the proclamation and just over two months after the war ended, federal troops entered Galveston, Texas, on June 19th, 1865 (about an hour southeast of Houston). Name origin explored amid nationwide celebrations. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the date on which enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally received the news they were free. Granger delivered the news himself, reading General Order Number 3: "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. Marking the official end of slavery in Texas, Juneteenth is now also a Colorado state holiday after Governor Jared Polis signed it into law earlier this year. He may have written out the order and advised on its wording, but Granger would have paid very close attention to the language, including the reference to freedom meaning "an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves. Slave owners may have known that slavery was illegal at that time. I don't think I ever heard anyone say "Juneteenth" until recently. The Emancipation Proclamation is a historic document to be held in high esteem. Ever since Joe Biden took office in 2021, the day has been observed as a national federal holiday after he signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. It recognizes the history and contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. With an estimated24 million Asian residents and 1.7 million Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander residentsin the United States in 2021, companies and organizations were eager to spotlight those communities. Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, is considered the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States, and celebration of the. President Lincoln's heart was in the right place with its sentiment, but he knew it would fall on deaf ears. According to the New York Times, at a White House ceremony, President Biden singled out Opal Lee, an activist who, at the age of 89, walked from her home in Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C.,. Among those were AAPI Month celebrations, fundraising efforts, and more. People were even more formal in their speech patterns back then. ", Editor's note: After NPR posted this story, the descendants of Gen. Granger contacted us to offer a rebuttal. President Joe Biden established Juneteenth National Independence Day as a federal holiday when he signed into law a bill passed by both chambers of Congress. The US government was slow to embrace the occasion it was only in 2021 that Joe Biden, who had been inaugurated that January, signed a bill passed by Congress to set aside 19 June as a federal Juneteenth holiday. The Senate approved the bill unanimously; only 14 House Republicans many representing states that were part of the slave-holding Confederacy in the 19th century opposed the measure. As with most social events, food takes center stage. Juneteenth is a day in the United States to celebrate the ending of slavery. For . Cision Distribution 888-776-0942 As the nation observes the second federal legal holiday marking the emancipation of enslaved people in Texas, there are a number of misconceptions about the historical event that keep getting repeated. A key American historical event finally received federal recognition in recent years: June 19, 1865the day all people living in the United States, including the formerly enslaved, were officially granted freedom. On April 9th, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, marking the end of the war between North and South. Listen Here, LI Serial Killer Case: Newly Released Details Offer Fresh Insight Into the Gilgo Four', She Was in Fear for Her Life:' Shannan Gilbert's Sister Blasts Suffolk Cops Over Gilgo Probe. Said Para LaNell Agboga, museum site coordinator at the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center in Austin, Texas: Our freedoms are fragile, and it doesnt take much for things to go backward.". Why is it Juneteenth and not June nineteenth? | Political Talk It would have been posted around town, particularly at places where Black people gathered, such as "the Negro Church on Broadway," as Reedy Chapel-AME Church was then called. ", Myth #3: Gen. Gordon Granger read the Juneteenth Order from a balcony to the people of Galveston, announcing that "all slaves are free.". Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. South Dakota remains the only state that has not yet recognized Juneteenth annually either as a state holiday or a day of observance. In fact, they continued to imprison African Americans and force them into slavery. Juneteenth is often commemorated by barbecues and the traditional drink - Strawberry Soda - and dessert - Strawberry Pie. Did my teachers know about it, or were they as confused about it as too many people are today? The. And turn them loose on the 19th of June. Led by Major General Gordon Granger (Union Army), these troops arrived to assume control of the state and to guarantee that all enslaved residents were freed. In the lead-up to 19 June 2021, both chambers of the US Congress moved swiftly to pass the bill and - with the signature of President Biden, it became law. PR Newswire distributed over 100 releases that mentioned the AAPI/AANHPI communities in May and June. Purchase tickets today for our Summer Raffle! Lets take a closer look at these trends and additional newsworthy stories from May and June. What is Juneteenth? The history and meaning behind the holiday In addition, the former slaves were given the choice to either continue working in exchange for wages or leave. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. I think now they say they worked them, six months after that. They were freed two years after slavery was abolished. Updated from June 2021. The USA signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and had 60 co-sponsors. And just as more people learn the historical details and traditions of Juneteenth, the holidays message is facing modern pressures especially political rhetoric, policies and laws censoring history and condemning efforts to teach Americans about the nations racial history. The term Juneteenth is a blend of the words June and nineteenth. High-quality Why Is It Called Juneteenth And Not June 19th jigsaw puzzles designed and sold by independent artists. Myth #1: President Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, and it's outrageous that it took two and a half years for the news to finally reach enslaved people in. When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type. Fourth of July. Churches also join in Juneteenth celebration with picnics and special services, many of which feature traditional African American music and hymns. "Making Juneteenth a federal holiday is a major step forward to recognize the wrongs of the past," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. Combo of the month and date holiday is observed. Fast forward to April 1861, the American Civil War broke out between the Union (the North) and the Confederacy (the South). Once they heard "all slaves are free" they said to hell with you. Why Is It Called Juneteenth And Not June 19th Greeting Cards Instead, he claimed he was concerned about how much another federal holiday will affect taxpayers at the cost of $600 million per year. 4 things to know about Juneteenth | CU Boulder Today | University of What began as a regional commemoration of emancipation spread across the country, and although Black Americans have long been celebrating Juneteenth, it didnt become a federal holiday until 2021. Not only that, the slaves were deprived of their right to information about the slavery ban. Whats interesting is that, even though Juneteenth is often confused with Emancipation Day, the latter is celebrated on April 16 annually and commemorates the day when Lincoln himself freed over 3000 slaves in Washington D.C. Be the first one to comment on this story. Juneteenth is a US federal holiday: Here's why June 19 is important He hoped that it would end the Civil War and put an end to slavery in the Confederacy, once and for all, and declare the Union as the winning side. Our local broadcasters and national reporters have no clue about President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, yet they all made reference to it as the cause for celebrating Juneteenth. Distractify is a registered trademark. As we celerated our newest federal holiday, Juneteenth last month, I heard so much misinformation that I was truly disturbed. But with90releasesthat mentioned Pride Month, that wasn'tall. Even if it had had any power in the Confederate States, Tennessee slaves would still have been in bondage. Juneteenth (short for "June Nineteenth") marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. Juneteenth is America's second Independence Dayhere's why. Hear more Tennessee voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought-provoking columns. Juneteenth celebrations and parades take the streets. "It wasn't that all these poor people didn't get the message," she says, "It was that there was no one enforcing it, no one making it happen!". It's been achieving national prominence recently. Galveston finally getting some recognition. There is currently a push towards making the day a federal holiday. Why is it called Juneteenth and not June 19th? - YouTube Some of the marketing has misfired, provoking a social media backlash. Slavery was formally abolished after Congress ratifiedthe 13th Amendmentto the U.S. Constitution nearly six months later, on Dec. 6, 1865. why is it called juneteenth vs june 19th - mintmyroom.blogspot.com In short, Juneteenth - a combination of the words "June" and "19th" - is the primary holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. "While it still seems strange that having taxpayers provide federal employees paid time off is now required to celebrate the end of slavery, it is clear that there is no appetite in Congress to further discuss the matter," he said. Governor Glenn Youngkin | Governor.Virginia.gov Laura Smalley, freed from a plantation near Bellville, Texas, remembered in a 1941 interview that her former master had gone to fight in the Civil War and came home without telling his slaves what had happened. Retailers, museums and other venues have capitalized on it by selling Juneteenth-themed T-shirts, party ware and ice cream. Last year, the U.S. government finally caught up with Black people who have been commemorating the end of slavery in the United States for generations with a day called Juneteenth.. Unfortunately, slave owners across the country did not agree with Lincolns proclamation. Keep reading to find out the meaning behind Juneteenth and the various ways states honor the day. At the crux of it was the fight between expanding slavery into the western territories and build more slave states or putting an end to the inhuman practice. Four recurring themes our team noticed while tracking the headlines are Pride Month, Juneteenth, Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and Mental Health Awareness Month. It's not the only day we refer to by its date. In 1994, the National Juneteenth Observation Foundation was established by a group of African Americans, in New Orleans, Louisiana, that kickstarted the modern-day movement. The day's name is a combination of "June" and "nineteenth" in honor of the date of Granger's announcement and first appeared around 1903. "The freed are advised to remain at their present homes, and work for wages. Maybe you noticed that President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on Thursday, June 17th, making Juneteenth a federal holiday in the United States. It has also been called Emancipation Day and African American Freedom Day. Slaves were declared free in 1863, but word did not get to Texas until June 19, 1865. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, she enjoys baking, creating visual art, and keeping up with pop culture news in her free time. Billie Weiss / Boston Red Sox / Getty Images. Last year, the U.S. designated Juneteenth a federal holiday with President Joe Biden urging Americans "to learn from our history.". Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Juneteenth came to . The. Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19. But do you know why? It represents the end of slavery in Texas, which happened two and a half years after the Civil War had ended.