WHAT IS JUNETEENTH?
SLAVERY DIDN’T END WITH EMANCIPATION
We all remember the story from elementary school – Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation and just like that, slavery was over in America. History is never this clear cut and simple.
The Emancipation Proclamation was signed in September of 1862 and set to go into effect on January 1, 1863. The proclamation gave immediate freedom to all 3.5 million slaves living in the United States. However, the North and South were still in the midst of Civil War. For the Northerners, this gave a new objective to the war effort – help free the slaves. Prior to this, the North just wanted the country to remain whole.
For the Southerners, they weren’t about to let their “property” go without a fight. Most white slave owners simply didn’t tell their slaves about their new legal status. Over the course of the remainder of the war, slaves were freed as the North won more victories and many were free upon running away.
Juneteenth
Almost two and a half years after Lincoln’s proclamation, slaves in Texas were still unaware of their freedom. Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and announced that not only was the war over, but all the slaves were free…and had been for more than two years.
The orders were posted as follows:
“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 freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.” —General Orders, Number 3; Headquarters District of Texas, Galveston, June 19, 1865
Once announced, many newly freed slaves immediately hit the road to put as much distance as possible between them and their former masters. But Texas is a big state and it still took many weeks for the news to travel to all enslaved peoples.
June 19 became known as Juneteenth and became a day of celebration. It waxed and waned in popularity until it re-emerged during the Civil Rights Movement. Texas officially declared Juneteenth a holiday in 1980 and from there, more national efforts have sprung up.
Black History Podcasts to Check Out
To further educate myself on Black History and issues of race, here are some podcasts I’m checking out, join me!
“Noire Histoir is hosted by Natasha McEachron and celebrates Black history 366 days of the year. My mission is to motivate and inspire through stories of pride, excellence, and power from across the Black diaspora. Every week new content is released featuring quotes, book reviews, movie reviews, career interviews, recommendations for places to visit, and historical facts.”
“Objects hold history. They're evocative of stories stamped in time. As part of The Washington Post's coverage of the Smithsonian's new National Museum of African American History and Culture, people submitted dozens of objects that make up their own lived experiences of black history, creating a "people's museum" of personal objects, family photos and more.
The Historically Black podcast brings those objects and their stories to life through interviews, archival sound and music. The Washington Post and APM Reports are proud to collaborate in presenting these rich personal histories, along with hosts Keegan-Michael Key, Roxane Gay, Issa Rae and Another Round hosts Heben Nigatu and Tracy Clayton.”
“What's CODE SWITCH? It's the fearless conversations about race that you've been waiting for! Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race head-on. We explore how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and everything in between. This podcast makes ALL OF US part of the conversation — because we're all part of the story.”
Sources:
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/what-is-juneteenth/