Juneteenth deserves plenty of recognition
Up until a few years ago, the annual observance of Juneteenth was not particularly well-known outside Black communities across America.
After 156 years, that is no longer the case. As communities across our region, state and nation mark Juneteenth today, the commemoration of the end of U.S. slavery is becoming a national holiday after President Joe Biden signed a measure adding June 19 to the list of federal observances. The bill received overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress.
The importance of the day is gaining recognition locally as well. Montgomery County this year made Juneteenth a county holiday, and observances are taking place throughout the region.
Juneteenth commemorates the freedom of slaves in the former Confederate states following the conclusion of the Civil War. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring the slaves in the Confederate states freed. But word of the proclamation was slow to reach people around the country. On June 19, 1865, later called Juneteenth, an estimated 250,000 slaves in Texas finally received official notification of their freedom.
Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger read General Orders, No. 3, at the District of Texas headquarters in Galveston: “The people of 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, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.”
The announcement met with immediate jubilation, dancing and singing among the now former slaves who heard it, and later to more elaborate celebrations, according to juneteenth.com.
Renewed interest in Juneteenth is a byproduct of increased awareness when it comes to America’s ongoing problems with race relations. In the wake of the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020 and the protests that followed, many are recognizing the need for people to learn more about Black history in America.
In that spirit, a few weeks ago there was a broad effort to educate people about the 1921 massacre in a Black neighborhood in Tulsa, Okla., on its 100th anniversary. It was one of the worst incidents of racial violence in American history, with at least three dozen killed and hundreds admitted to hospitals. Yet all too many Americans didn’t know about it until this year.
With ongoing serious disagreements about how to go about educating people on America’s history with race, it’s heartening to see bipartisan agreement on Juneteenth. We can only hope this leads to further dialogue in which people listen to one another’s views on these difficult issues rather than shouting past one another as happens far too often.
As our communities observe Juneteenth, people should contemplate the bittersweet nature of the occasion.
It reminds us of a milestone in freedom for Black Americans while recalling the slavery they endured for generations. And we must remember that there is much still left to accomplish in our efforts to bring about true racial equality.
The celebration of empowerment that is Juneteenth reflects the reality of the long road to freedom and equality that African Americans have had to endure.
The Emancipation Proclamation, after all, freed only the slaves in the Confederate states.
Despite constitutional amendments granting them freedom, full rights as citizens and the right to vote, it took another century for those promises to be fully implemented. And more still needs to be done to put our stated principles into practice on matters of race.
The work toward racial reconciliation continues. May the difficult discussions brought on by events of the recent past lead us closer to greater equality and mutual understanding.
Renewed interest in Juneteenth is a byproduct of increased awareness when it comes to America’s ongoing problems with race relations. In the wake of the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020 and the protests that followed, many are recognizing the need for people to learn more about Black history in America.