Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It is considered the longest-running African American holiday and became recognized as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021.
History of Juneteenth
On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which “established that all enslaved people in Confederate states in rebellion against the Union ‘shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.'”(1) However, not all slaves were immediately freed. It would take another two and a half years for federal troops to arrive in Galveston, TX. On June 19, 1865 they informed more than 250,000 enslaved black people that they had been freed. The news prompted celebrations.
The following year, on June 19, 1866, celebrations were held once again to commemorate the end of slavery. The celebrations continued annually and, in 1980, Juneteenth became a holiday in Texas. Other states followed suit.
The Grandmother of Juneteenth
Opal Lee is considered the “Grandmother of Juneteenth”. She spent decades lobbying for Juneteenth to be recognized as a federal holiday. She participated in marches across the country and started petitions. In 2016, at 89 years old, Lee walked from Fort Worth, TX to Washington D.C. in an attempt to lobby then-President Barak Obama to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Lee was present when President Joe Biden signed legislation in 2021 recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Opal Lee with President Biden (Source: Opal Lee – Wikipedia)
“Juneteenth ain’t a Black thing, not a Texas thing. It’s about freedom for everybody. As long as we have joblessness, homelessness, and health care that some can get and others can’t, and climate change—all these things need to be addressed for us to be free.” – Opal Lee, Juneteenth activist
(Source: How to Honor Juneteenth, According to Black Activists | Time)
Ways to Recognize Juneteenth
Juneteenth is a day to gather with family and celebrate. It is also an important day to learn about Black history in the United States and reflect on the ongoing fight for equality. Below are resources to learn more about Juneteenth, Black history, and the fight for equality.
Recommended Resources:
The National Museum of African American History and Culture
Located in Washington D.C., the National Museum of African American History and Culture “is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture.” If you can’t visit in person, the museum has a trove of information on its website about African American History, including Juneteenth.
About the Museum | National Museum of African American History and Culture (si.edu)
Juneteenth | National Museum of African American History and Culture (si.edu)
The Emancipation Proclamation in the National Archives
Learn about the read the Emancipation Proclamation.
The Emancipation Proclamation | National Archives
Teen Think Tank Project Summer 2022 Financial Stability Research Cohort
Eleven teens spent their summer break investigating the struggles and hardships that low-income American families face to understand how education inequalities, underemployment, inconsistent health benefits, and institutional prejudices prevent individuals from escaping poverty’s grip. Their research paper “Effective Policy and Social Awareness: The Tools Against Financial Instability in America” illuminates how structural racism and persistent inequalities disproportionately impact the Black community.
2021 Summer Research Group | Summer High School Research Programs (teenthinktankproject.com)
Recommended Books:
Four Hundred Souls, Edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha Blain
A Black Women’s History of the United States, Daina Berry and Kali Gross
How to Be an Anti-Racist, Ibran, X. Kendi
Recommended Podcasts:
1619 from the New York Times Listen on Spotify Listen on iTunes
Sources:
- Waxman, Olivia B. “How to Honor Juneteenth, According to Black Activists.” Time, June 15, 2022. https://time.com/6187898/juneteenth-national-holiday-activists/.
- Nix, Elizabeth. “What is Juneteenth?” History, June 12, 2023, https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth.
- “Juneteenth Reading List.” National Museum of African American History and Culture, https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/museum-store/juneteenth-reading-list.
- Gamble, Justin. “Opal Lee, the ‘grandmother of Juneteenth,’ becomes second Black American to have portrait hung in Texas statehouse.” CNN, February 9, 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/09/us/opal-lee-texas-portrait-reaj/index.html.
- “2021 Summer Research Group.” Teen Think Tank Project, https://teenthinktankproject.com/2021-summer-research-group/.
- “Juneteenth Digital Toolkit.” National Museum of African American History and Culture, https://nmaahc.si.edu/juneteenth-digital-toolkit.
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