Juneteenth: An Celebration and an Observation
Juneteenth, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of slavery ending in the United States. Also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day and Liberation Day, it is celebrated on June 19th. President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation ending slavery became official January 1,1863. However, it wasn’t until the surrender of the Confederate leader General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of the General Granger’s Union regiment, that the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance. Note, that was two and a half years later.
Attempts to explain the two-and-a-half-year delay have yielded several versions handed down through the years. One story, is of a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another, is that the news was deliberately withheld by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations. And still another, is that federal troops waited for the slave owners to reap the benefits of one last cotton harvest before going to Texas. All of which, or neither of these version could be true.
I believe each version has a bit of truth behind them. We do know, President Lincoln's authority over the rebellious states was in question. Texas was the most remote of the slave states. Minimal fighting meant there were few Union troops present. It took a while to gather enough troops to enforce the new Executive Order. Isn’t it ironic, Texas’ delay in the proclamation announcement, is what kicks off the national celebration for the end of slavery, not the 1863 Proclamation?
Celebrations of Juneteenth within the American African communities date back to 1866. At first, celebrations involved church-centered community gatherings. Then, in the 1920s and 1930s it spread across the South and became more commercialized. The Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, is when the focus became the story of struggle for postwar civil rights. In the 1970s, it saw a large amount of commencement celebrations as that decade was heavily into black pride. Throughout every decade, the goal has always been to acknowledge that American Africans comprise an essential part of our nation’s valuable cultural heritage.
The Mascogos, descendants of Black Seminoles, of Coahuila, Mexico also observe Juneteenth, because many sepia colored people were labeled as slaves in order to be profited from, even if they were not of African descent. This is why I use the term, American Africans. Historically, observance has primarily been local celebrations that include cookouts, marches, art, and street fairs. Some people have combined their family reunions with Juneteeth celebrations. To honor the newly freed, many do historical reenactments, public readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, and sing the Black National Anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing".
June has always been a precarious month for American Africans. Something about them enjoying warm weather, has always sparked strong energy towards them. All you have to do is look at history. The destruction of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, June 1. The 1943 race riots of Detroit, June 22. The 1963 of murder of Medgar Evers, June 12. With everything going on in the world, this year’s Juneteenth is going to be a special observance. As we acknowledge injustices and celebrate the last of a people being treated inhumanely. It also marks the beginning, of a people able to openly acknowledge their sacrifices, their pain and their strength.
