Juneteenth, Past and Present
“all slaves are free”
In 2021, Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday.
Juneteenth celebrates the end of chattel slavery in the United States. It commemorates the issuance of General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, which included the line “all slaves are free”. The order was issued by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, a U.S. Army officer and Union General during the Civil War. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Local Juneteenth Events
6/15 Georgetown Juneteenth Event
Come join us on the 15th and sign up to volunteer if you can. Georgetown will be hosting its Juneteenth Celebration. If you would like to participate as a marcher in the parade or work at the SDARJ table please fill out the form to let us know.
6/22 Lewes Juneteenth Event
The City of Lewes would like to invite you to participate in The Annual Juneteenth Celebration Saturday June 22nd, 2024. All local and surrounding communities members near and far are welcomed to attend. No entry fee. Apply to volunteer here.
READ MORE FROM britannica.com
In 1863, during the American Civil War, Pres. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared more than three million enslaved people living in the Confederate states to be free. More than two years would pass, however, before the news reached African Americans living in Texas. It was not until Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, that the state’s residents finally learned that slavery had been abolished. The formerly enslaved immediately began to celebrate with prayer, feasting, song, and dance.
The following year, on June 19, the first official Juneteenth celebrations took place in Texas. The original observances included prayer meetings and the singing of spirituals, and celebrants wore new clothes as a way of representing their newfound freedom. Within a few years, African Americans in other states were celebrating the day as well, making it an annual tradition. Celebrations have continued across the United States into the 21st century and typically include prayer and religious services, speeches, educational events, family gatherings and picnics, and festivals with music, food, and dancing.
Juneteenth became a state holiday in Texas in 1980, and a number of other states subsequently followed suit. In 2021 Juneteenth was made a federal holiday, in part because of the actions of activist Opal Lee to raise awareness. The day is also celebrated outside the United States, being used by organizations in a number of countries to recognize the end of slavery and to honor the culture and achievements of African Americans.
