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Home , American Civil War, Gordon Granger, Harriet Tubman, Juneteenth

J u n e t e e n t h 92 C elebrations UNETEENTH is the oldest celebration in the and the connection h eretofore existing be- nation to commemorate the end of in tween them becomes that between em- J the . The word “” comes ployer and free laborer. from a colloquial pronunciation of “ 19th,” which With this announcement the last 250,000 slaves in is the date celebrations commemorate. the United States were effectively freed. Afterward In 1863 President Abraham signed the many of the former slaves left . As they moved to Emancipation Proclamation, offi - other states to fi nd family mem- cially freeing slaves. However, bers and start new lives, they car- word of the Proclamation did not ried news of the June 19th event reach many parts of the country with them. In subsequent decades right away, and instead the news former slaves and their descendants spread slowly from state to state. continued to commemorate June The slow spread of this important 19th and many even made pilgrim- news was i n part because the A mer- ages back to Galveston, Texas to ican Civil had not yet ended. celebrate the event. However, in 1865 the Most of the celebrations ini- ended and soldiers tially took place in rural areas and began spreading the news of the included activities such as fi shing, war’s end and Lincoln’s Emanci- barbeques, and family reunions. pation Proclamation. Church grounds were also often On , 1865, Gen- the sites for these celebrations. As eral and U nion more and more African Army soldiers arrived in Galves- improved their economic condi- ton, Texas. On his arrival, one of General Granger’s tions and became land owners, tracts of land were pur- fi rst acts was to publicly read General Order Number chased specifi cally for hosting events such as Juneteenth. 3, which began: One of the fi rst documented land purchases specifi cally The people of Texas are informed that in for holding Juneteenth celebrations was organized by accordance with a Proclama- Reverend Jack Yates. Through tion from the [President] of fund-raising efforts, he raised PREVIOUS PAGE: In June 2002 trail boss James Frances Jr. the United States, all slaves leads the Emancipation Trail Ride, a 137-mile-long ride $1000 and purchased what became are free. This involves an ab- that commemorates the reading of Lincoln’s Emanicipa- known as Emancipation Park in tion Proclamation in Galveston, Texas. solute equality of rights and , Texas. ABOVE: Major General Gordon Granger and his soldiers rights of property between arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, where Juneteenth celebrations began former masters and slaves, he announced that all slaves were free. declining in the 1920s and 1930s,

C ELEBRATIONS 93 J UNETEENTH in part because of severe economic difficulties, especially celebration. Since then Juneteenth has gradually grown the . However events during the 1950s in popularity throughout the United States. Today June- and ’60s, including the , led to a teenth is celebrated as an occasion for encouraging self- resurgence in Juneteenth celebrations. As national atten- development and respect for all cultures. Juneteenth is tion focused on improving rights for , commemorated as a day, week, and sometimes a month, the interest in remembering and celebrating important marked with parades, family reunions, barbeques, his- African-American events increased. In 1968 Reverend torical reenactments, and educational speeches. led the Poor Peoples’ to Wash- ington, D.C. This event called for people of all races, Glossary creeds, and economic levels to meet and show support colloquial: adj. informal way of speaking or pronounc- for the poor. Many of those who attended returned home ing words and revived Juneteenth celebrations as a way of educat- Emancipation Proclamation: n. the government docu- ing and empowering their communities. In fact, two of ment that officially proclaimed or stated American the largest Juneteenth celebrations taking place today slaves to be free. The word emancipation refers to set- were founded after this march and take place yearly in ting someone or something free. A proclamation is a two cities in the state of — and public or formal announcement. —cities that had not previously held June- : the war fought in the U.S. from teenth celebrations. 1861 to 1865 between non-slave On , 1980, Juneteenth states in the north (by the Union became an official state holiday in Above: At a Juneteenth Family Fun Festival in Daytona army) and slave-owning states in , making it the first, and only, Beach, , people participate in a reenactment of south (by the Confederate army) the life of who played a major role in officially recognized emancipation freeing millions of slaves in the . Union: n refers to the United States

J u n e t e e n t h 94 C elebrations heretofore: adv. up to this time food is cooked over charcoal or an open fire outside effectively: adv. actually reenactment(s): n. a performance of an event that took descendant(s): n. a person related to someone who lived place in the past in the past (s): n. travel to a place that holds special meaning tract(s): n. a section of land host(ing): v. to receive people and provide services for an occasion document(ed): adj. evidence providing proof of an event Great Depression: phrase. a drastic decline in the world economy from 1929 to 1939 that resulted in widespread unemployment and poverty resurgence: n. a rise in popularity after a period of declining or absent popularity Reverend: n. a title of respect applied to a member of the clergy or religious leader, usually in the Protestant faith creed(s): n. a set of beliefs revive(d): v. to make something popular again Above: Children enjoy playing with a hula hoop at St Louis Park in Tyler, Texas in 2002 as a part of a barbeque(s): n. a meal in which the Juneteenth celebration.

C elebrations 95 J u n e t e e n t h