157 years ago, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to break news that the Civil War had ended and that all those who were enslaved were now free, according to Juneteenth.com.
Of course, the holiday had even more significance in 2020, as it coincided with the ongoing fight for racial justice across the country. Throughout the month prior in NYC (and many other cities around the U.S.), people marched and rallied in the Black Lives Matter movement, fighting against systemic racism against Black people, for much-needed police reforms, and more.
Here are some things to know about the important day, what historian Blair Amadeus Imani calls “a time of remembrance, action and celebration for Black lives.”
What does Juneteenth mean?
Juneteenth combines “June” and “nineteenth” into one word. June 19, 1865 is the day when enslaved people in Texas finally learned about their granted freedom. It was about one month after the Civil War had ended.
What exactly happened on that date?
Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston with a group of about 2,000 soldiers, according to the National Museum of African American History & Culture. “The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free by executive decree,” they share on their website. “This day came to be known as ‘Juneteenth,’ by the newly freed people in Texas.”
He read General Order Number 3, which started with:
“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 rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”
Didn’t the Emancipation Proclamation free enslaved peoples two years earlier?
President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863, and declared every enslaved person in Confederate States was now legally free. But Texas, the furthest west territory, was still under Confederate control at the time. So, enslaved people there did not receive emancipation until the end of the war nearly two years later. The day celebrates the triumph, of course, but also shows how long it took for that freedom to be implemented in the far-reaches of the Confederacy.
And even when the enslaved populations were freed, most were left without possessions, land or resources to begin new lives with. “The post-emancipation period known as Reconstruction (1865-1877) marked an era of great hope, uncertainty, and struggle for the nation as a whole,” the Museum writes. “Formerly enslaved people immediately sought to reunify families, establish schools, run for political office, push radical legislation and even sue slaveholders for compensation. Given the 200+ years of enslavement, such changes were nothing short of amazing.”
How should I commemorate and celebrate?
This year there are endless ways to take action to support the Black community on this day (and every other day!).
You can use it as a day to continue education and to celebrate Black culture and accomplishments, or you can get outside and participate in all the great events going on around the city.
It is also a day to continue to uplift and celebrate the Black community by supporting Black-owned businesses. Here is our list of 85 Black-owned restaurants in NYC, divided by borough, as well as 25 Black-owned businesses in NYCto shop at.
Is Juneteenth a national holiday?
Yes, it is!
The day was first declared an official state holiday in June 2021 and later an official school holiday to be observed the 21-22 school year.
And, as of April 11 2022, NYC named Juneteenth an official paid holiday for city employees.