What is Juneteenth and how do you celebrate the federal holiday? | Mashable.

4 things you need to know about Juneteenth, the federal holiday

Juneteenth is American history, not just Black history.

What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth marks Freedom Day, when slaves in Texas were freed, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Credit: IAN Moore / Mashable

Just days before its 156th anniversary, President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth, which marks the true end of slavery, an official federal holiday.

On July Fourth, the nation will celebrate its independence that began in 1776. Across the country, Americans, many with no ancestral connection to early colonists, will watch firework displays, march in parades, and proudly wear red, white, and blue star-spangled outfits.

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As current Americans, we share pride in our country’s history and emulate the joy and sense of freedom felt by early colonists. But, on that jubilant day, enslaved Black people could not celebrate freedom. Slavery didn’t officially end until the signing of The Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. And in Texas, it didn’t end until the announcement reached Galveston on June 19, 1865.

Black people in Texas were bound to plantations and lived for 900 more days as slaves compared to those who got the news on time. For many, “Juneteenth” signifies the true emancipation day from slavery. It is also called “Freedom Day” — the day all slaves were granted their freedom. It was a day for celebration.

As celebrations online(opens in a new tab) and off(opens in a new tab) commence this year, here are four things you should know about this important day in American history.

1. It’s a relatively new federal holiday, but was recognized in 49 states before that.

Prior to its federal recognition, which means federal employees get a paid day off, D.C. and every state but one already commemorated Juneteenth in some way. Not all of those states gave a paid day off. The paid federal holiday could encourage more private employers — and states — to follow suit.

At least 28 states and the District of Columbia(opens in a new tab) legally observe Juneteenth, which has its own red, white, and blue flag(opens in a new tab), as a paid holiday. Juneteenth has been a paid state holiday in Texas since 1980.

In 2020, corporations like Best Buy, Nike, and Target took the lead in making Juneteenth a paid holiday for their employees, and a growing list of other companies(opens in a new tab) are following their lead. The governmental and corporate change came after a summer of protesting police violence against Black people.

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The fight for a national holiday(opens in a new tab) gained momentum as many more people agreed that Juneteenth deserved its proper place in American history.

Ninety-four-year-old Juneteenth activist, Opal Lee(opens in a new tab) from Houston, Texas was one of the strongest voices pushing the measure forward. Lee walked 2.5 miles in a variety of states — to symbolize the more than two and a half years it took for news of emancipation to reach Galveston — over about four months, starting in Fort Worth, Texas and ending in Washington, D.C. in January 2017 to encourage lawmakers to make Juneteenth a national holiday.

She also netted 1.6 million signatures on a Change.org petition(opens in a new tab) to move the needle. Other advocate groups formed for the same purpose. This includes the Juneteenth Foundation, which aims "to celebrate the excellence of Black culture and freedom.” It is hosting a (opens in a new tab)virtual concert, career fair, and educational panels(opens in a new tab) on June 18 and 19, and plans to give scholarships to students at historically Black colleges and universities.

It took over 15 years(opens in a new tab) to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as the eleventh federal holiday and close to another 15 years for all states to embrace it, so many were concerned gaining a twelfth federal holiday would take some time. The journey to make Juneteenth an official national holiday has come to an end, but for some, the designation is long overdue.

2. It’s the longest running emancipation celebration for African Americans.

Juneteenth was created by former slaves and passed down to each new generation. In 1872, Rev. Jack Yates, a Baptist minister and former slave, led an initiative to buy 10 acres of land in Houston(opens in a new tab) to create a designated area for Juneteenth celebrations. Called Emancipation Park, Black people gathered there to commemorate Freedom Day as the segregated city prevented them from using public parks(opens in a new tab).

Through migration, people began to celebrate the holiday in many states outside of Texas. On June 19, Black communities celebrate with many of the same traditions as those marking the Fourth of July.

Candice Foster, a 34-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska, says at least three generations in her family have celebrated Juneteenth. “My neighborhood gets together and we have block parties, parades, and we have a Black history museum that we visit,” the insurance specialist says.

 "Juneteenth is like a Black family reunion."

Melorra Green, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, works to support San Francisco's annual celebration in her role as the co-executive director of the African American Art & Culture Complex. She says the holiday reminds her of family.

“Juneteenth is like a Black family reunion. I remember in Memphis it was the one time you could see multiple families come together to play, laugh, and, sometimes, cry,” she says.

3. Food is a big part of the celebration.

Families gather on Juneteenth to celebrate with parades and block parties, but also with food. For Juneteenth celebrations, Black people revisit their stories of resilience during barbecues featuring red food and drinks, which represent perseverance.

This includes red hot link sausages, watermelon, red velvet cake, and red-tinted hibiscus tea. Some also believe that red is associated with West African food and religious traditions(opens in a new tab) that traveled with slaves across the Atlantic Ocean.

4. It took 155 years and a social justice movement to gain national attention.

Sadly, many people in the country had never heard of Juneteenth until recent years. In the midst of a pandemic and the fights for racial justice after the murder of George Floyd, the Juneteenth celebration of 2020 gained national attention.

 “We should acknowledge Juneteenth as American history, not just Black history.”

Although it was celebrated in the South and throughout the Midwest continuously, Freedom Day went mostly unrecognized nationally until former President Trump was harshly criticized for scheduling a rally on the same day in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where an entire Black town was wiped out by a racial massacre in 1921. This series of events encouraged more people to learn about the history of slavery and its continual impact on the lives of all Americans.

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“We should acknowledge Juneteenth as American history, not just Black history,” says Cammie Jones, executive director of community engagement and diversity, equity, and inclusion at Barnard College. But, the Texas native goes on to say that recognizing the day is not enough.

“The holiday has become a point in the year where people are acknowledging in some capacity what has happened in our country. But, I hope it doesn’t stop or start on Juneteenth. It should continue. We should continue to figure out what liberation can look like. It shouldn’t stop or start at this day,” she says.

What can we still learn from Juneteenth?

Jones also suggests using Juneteenth as a starting point to learn more about systemic racism, and how you can play a role in ending it.

“Slavery is over and you may not still see people picking cotton in a field, but there are definitely forms of systemic oppression that are still around to this day in our society, and it is up to each of us to look into our communities," she says. "We need to do research and ask: What are forms of systemic racism? How can I be an ally, and not to take up space, but to provide resources and opportunities?”

The emergence of Juneteenth into the national conversation allows us to learn more about a tradition that has come out of struggle. We can better understand ourselves in the context of history, and we can share in the joy of other Americans and honor their traditions.

Similar to July Fourth, many Black people view Juneteenth as their Independence Day. There may not always be fireworks on June 19, but there will be a celebration.

Yolande Clark-Jackson is a writer and educator based in South Florida. You can follow her on Twitter @YClarkjackson(opens in a new tab) and find more of her work at yolandeclarkjackson.com(opens in a new tab).

This story has been updated to reflect the expanding number of states that legally observe Juneteenth.

More in Activism, Social Good

Comments

  1. 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

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  2. Bless up America 🇺🇸 🙏 🙌

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  3. Who wants to play this game?

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  4. Once again, the U.S. Army leads the country.

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  5. Marked unaffected by this

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  6. you’re a sad little man

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  7. So many sad, pathetic people showing us who they are here.

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  8. Sure am glad my employer doesn't recognize any holidays . Everything is PTO .

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  9. Replies
    1. you still mad you dotard got indicted. Typical of uneducated cult members

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    2. your name says it all bud.

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  10. Learn your history sheeple! juneteenth is not a beginning. It's sad a certain group always just follows whatever the masters say.

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  11. People don’t want,or need an explanation. Just sign the check.

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    Replies
    1. 👍🏼🎯 A good call!

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    2. GFY. Half the dip shytes out there don’t know what’s being celebrated on holidays. This is just an addition to the list. Just a paid day off is all. I’m sure those who lost loved ones appreciate your apathy,and disinterest.

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    3. It seems that’s what this article is: an explanation for people who don’t know. 

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    4. It the celebration of Black emancipation, in the US. It's been celebrated, starting in Texas, since 1869. It's been as Fed holiday(USA) since 2020. Canada acknowledges its history but it isn't Federally recognized. Blacks weren't emancipated in Canada so it won't become a fed holiday here but perhaps just a day to learn history.

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    5. It's amazing how one person like yourself can fill the role of "half the dip shytes" 🤣🤣🤣

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    6. and you who presents as an educated person spelled it out correctly. I doubt your brethren could fair so well. If you went out into the general public and asked both black and white why they have a paid holiday they would be vacant.

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    7. and how many people won’t care.

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  12. Juneteenth = Demorats mental health awareness

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    Replies
    1. what political parties exist in your country?

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    2. So making sure a whole group of people aren't slaves is being woke?

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    3. they haven’t been slaves for decades now. There’s other minorities out there that also where slaves not to mention that they also slave their kind. 🤷🏻‍♂️🙄

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    4. it's called google.

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    5. it's been decades since slavery was abolished. People seem to forget USA was one of the first country to arid of slavery.

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    6. yeah, later they replaced it with child labor and putting people in internment camps

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    7. why can’t you reply? Lack of knowledge?

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    8. yet we have those that think that we are to be slaves to the political elite . Reagan was correct I. The speech he gave 50 years ago

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    Click and contact sir Bill barhydt >> https://www.facebook.com/Billbar.microStra.Co

    ReplyDelete
  14. It's a demotrash joke

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. so, you don't even hide your ignorance or bigotry

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    2. In your mind, actually that would
      Be the Orange guy's bornday

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  15. Not a paid holiday for me so who gives a Fk

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  16. Why are there so many white folks here mad that black people got emancipated?

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    Replies
    1. here we have a racist comment. Why you think everyone here is white? Don’t be racist please.

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  17. Replies
    1. lol after seeing how you worship an ex president, do you think anyone cares how you feel? Your page is filled with bigotry and hate. Not a good way to be. I feel sorry for the people around you

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    2. I smell a snowflake 😂
      https://giphy.com/gifs/grumpy-old-man-dyRhCAXGENobdYucFD

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    3. your kind actively gaslights and tries to tell everyone else to move on, and yet you support politicians who actively are turning back history. Make it make sense.

      You cannot, racist.

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    4. and yet here you are😂

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    5. what I really appreciate about you is that you look the part. You fit in exactly like the others in exactly the way everyone expects.

      Thank you for contributing to my psychology study. My professor is really going to love this.

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    6. probably because you’re pappy was a slave owner. 🤷‍♀️

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    7. " Truth Be Told "

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  18. Which explains i have to work less hours while I got bills to pay.

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  19. It’s more a Texas holiday, since it’s first celebration was a few years after Kincoln emancipation proclamation. This is historical fiction, not based on historical fact.

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  20. Celebrating the day that former slaves in Galveston found out the civil war ended months earlier. It was an island and there of course was no causeway back then so yeah it was likely a little harder to get news & info back then.

    Recently just became a parade in neighboring Houston, my home town, after the mayor a few years back, started using tax payer money to fund that event and the media picked it up & promoted it. He’s black but not from Galveston.

    Then it got picked up by Joe Biden in 2021 and he made it a National Holiday.

    It’s now being commemorated by more people outside of Houston & Galveston. Still really not a huge celebration at all here, but it will get more media attention than Veterans or Memorial Day (🤯😢).

    Still had to explain it in our national zoom sales meeting last year when we were told it was going to be an official day off for us from then on, because several “said cool, what’s Juneteenth”…

    Yay, I’m off Monday!
    I’m wondering why we don’t make it a national holiday when Paducah found out there had been a Normandy landing.

    One really made & makes absolutely no difference in any context, historical or otherwise. The other was a world wide historic event that changed the course of the entire World!

    Isn’t Paducah & all its citizens just as important as Galveston?

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  21. The racist and bigots really showed up in force didn’t they.

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  22. The only thing you need to know is that it was totally made up out of hate and bigotry and racism to further black supremacy and black privilege

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  23. BBQs and drive-by shootings what's new

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  24. Why don't they celebrate when Choctaw Indians released tens of thousands of slaves they had a year after the Civil War 🤔

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  25. Bunch of whiners in the comments. 😂

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  26. Bc you need another holiday to celebrate your victimhood when you already have a whole month 🙄

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    Replies
    1. well aren't you just a cupid stunt

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    2. Slaves WERE victims!

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    3. the best thing about this holiday is racist such as yourself use it to out yourself. Also pride month is designed to out the bigots, congrats, we got a two for one. By the way, rainbows existed before man invented you god.,science disproves everything about Noah’s arc.,

      Delete
    4. https://giphy.com/gifs/CBSAllAccess-season-2-i-love-lucy-episode-28-Y42mxGkQ8F1EVkUFyf

      Delete
    5. well aren't you taking a ban.
      Have fun

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    6. truth hurts huh

      Delete
  27. 1- that it is a bunch of BS. 2- That is is stupid as a federal holiday, 3- 97% of Americans don't have any idea what it even is.. 4- did I mention it is a bunch of BS

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. education is key

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    2. Please don't give us your BS. I'm just not in the mood.

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    3. https://giphy.com/gifs/TheDemocrats-dnc-democrats-dncgif-RBvQaFrHtau1psibrg

      Delete
    4. Education is your friend.

      Delete
    5. https://media1.tenor.co/images/80bd0b64fff3f48fdfb08390f3f8ae2d/tenor.gif?c=VjFfZmFjZWJvb2tfd2ViY29tbWVudHM&itemid=21613666

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    6. Reading helps a bit tho man.

      Delete
  28. It’s horrible to think you celebrate your own people selling and trading you. And then being free. The Irish don’t do that, celebrate their freedom with a made up holiday. Lol.

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    Replies
    1. https://media1.tenor.co/images/1d6e56d0e80bab7aff03ca406efb5448/tenor.gif?c=VjFfZmFjZWJvb2tfd2ViY29tbWVudHM&itemid=25539889

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    2. ha ha ha. Idiot.

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    3. Bruh what 🤣 Also, maybe the Irish should have made a holiday then? Indentured servitude is different from American slavery.

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    4. but Americans did not start slavery or the trade. Africans started by selling their own before Americas were founded. And the the word slave is derived from the first to be slaves which were of whites.

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    5. The first slaves were not whites. Slavery has been around in some shape or form since early Mesopotamia at least. At that time slavery was based more on class than on race.

      America was not the first to engage in the African slave trade, the Portuguese were. Africans did sell Africans into slavery, but where did the demand come from? Currently the West can create so much demand given it's economic power that African countries are forcing their children to work in colbalt mines. The impoverished will always exploit the impoverish to survive. This not obsolve African nations of any blame, but it's not as simple as "well there was a sell so I purchased."

      Like I said before, if the Irish wanted a holiday they should have made one.

      We celebrate Independence day every year, a day when white Americans freed themselves from white people overseas. Should we not celebrate it since the problem began and ended with the same race of people?

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  29. It’s shares national sickle cell day. Ironic

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  30. It’s a fake holiday

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. education is key

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    2. Knowing what a woman is, is key for the survival of our species!

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    3. maybe it’s time to die out

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    4. Been around for 157 years man.

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    5. another thing i never really see actual "Africans” complaining the way american born blacks do🤔why do they not fall under the same category of systemic oppression, they are black? i believe a different in culture. last if systemic racism is oppressing blacks why has joe biden not done anything about it the last 47 years in office or all the other democratic representatives 90% of black demographic voted for the past few decades ?

      Here is an article from pew research center, There were 4.2 million black immigrants living in the U.S. in 2016, up from just 816,000 in 1980, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. Since 2000 alone, the number of black immigrants living in the country has risen 71%. Now, roughly one-in-ten blacks (9%) living in the U.S. are foreign born, according to 2016 American Community Survey data, up from 3% in 1980. (Immigrants make up 10% of the black population in the March 2016 Current Population Survey.)

      i'm guessing that is why only 10% of blacks vote differently because only 10% of blacks have not been indoctrinated by the hatred of american culture and liberal biased curriculum of their communities.

      Delete
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