‘What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July?’: Descendants Read Frederick Douglass' Speech | NPR
On January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation became law. However, due to low resources and limited Union troops, the law was unable to be enforced in some states and slavery continued. Confederate General Lee finally surrendered in April of 1865. Shortly thereafter, Union General Granger landed in Galveston, Texas with his unit of troops to enforce the law. Texas was the last stronghold of slavery so when Granger landed on June 19, 1865 and enforced the law, slavery was ended in the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation is legally when slavery ended, but Juneteenth is when the last slaves in the United States were freed.
Juneteenth became a popular holiday in the American South, with some celebrants even making an annual pilgrimage to Galveston. Former slaves were known to toss their ragged garments into rivers to clothe themselves in garments taken from plantations. Juneteenth was celebrated with large gatherings with food, singing, prayer, and spiritual readings.
Economica and cultural problems led to a decline in celebrations in the 20th century, but the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s saw a resurgence of celebrations. In 1980, Juneteenth became an official holiday in Texas.
President Biden signed Juneteenth into federal law on June 17, 2021. It is now known as a time for reflection of the history that shaped our nation and how this continues to impact our society today.
Why is Juneteenth still important to all of us?
Although slavery was eradicated in the 19th century, freedom and justice for Black people has always been, and continues to be, delayed. Black people continue to be discriminated against through police violence, racial profiling, mass incarceration, housing policies, economic divestment, and healthcare disparities. In fact, in 2016, Black men made up 7 percent of the US general population, while they made up 40 percent of the US prison population. Until we acknowledge and reflect on our legacy of slavery, we will continue to face the consequences of inequality.
Healthcare disparities severely impact minorities and people of low socio-economic status in this country. As a consequence, mental healthcare is often delayed or inaccessible. These problems impact all of us as a society because this impacts our workforce, our financial well-being, and
Here is a young man using spoken word to teach about the difficulties of accessing healthcare as a Black person: Mental health within the black community | Davonte Sanders-Funches | TEDxNorthCentralCollege
How can you support your fellow Americans?
Support Black-owned businesses: supportblackowned.com
Educate yourself! Watch documentaries like 13th by Ava DuVernay, read books like “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander, and listen to podcasts like “The Friend Zone” by Black artists
-Maddy Reed