Dating back to 1865, Juneteenth commemorates the day when 250,000 slaves in the state of Texas, the last bastion for slavery during the final days of the Civil War, were declared free by the U.S. Army.
Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas the year after the war ended, and they “often involved helping newly freed Black folks learn about their voting rights,” according to NPR. “Rodeos and horseback riding were also common.” More recently, cookouts, parades, church services, concerts and other events were added.
But official recognition of the day was slow to come. It wasn’t until June 2021 that Juneteenth became a national holiday.
Juneteenth Is Now a Federal Holiday
President Biden on Thursday signed a bill to recognize Juneteenth — the celebration to commemorate the end of chattel slavery in the United States — as a federal holiday.
Federal employees will observe the holiday for the first time on Friday.
"Throughout history, Juneteenth has been known by many names: Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Liberation Day, Emancipation Day, and today, a national holiday," said Vice President Harris, who is the first woman, first Asian-American and the first Black person to serve as vice president.
"We are gathered here in a house built by enslaved people. We are footsteps away from where President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation," she said at the White House signing ceremony. "We have come far, and we have far to go. But today is a day of celebration. It is not only a day of pride. It's also a day for us to reaffirm and rededicate ourselves to action."
Why is Juneteenth important?
In the words of Angela Tate of the National Museum of African American History and Culture:
Juneteenth doesn't feel fixed like July 4th. July 4th feels fixed in 1776, whereas Juneteenth always feels fluid and always willing to be adaptable to the incoming and upcoming generations. It always feels relevant to this continuous quest and fight for freedom and equality.
Juneteenth has a multiplicity of meanings to people of African descent in the United States. They also see it as relevant to Africa, the Caribbean, and any other place where there's an African diasporic community. It's a continuous struggle, a continuous fight, a continuous place of remembrance.
Juneteenth is also a site for political knowledge. It’s a time to recognize that you need to be registered to vote. You need to know what's going on in your own city. You need to take control of your civic duty.
Juneteenth requires you to be present, in the moment, and very specific about why you are showing up to celebrate it.
A year after declaring Juneteenth a holiday, President Biden spoke eloquently about what the day means to him:
One year ago, I had the great honor of signing legislation to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday—the first new federal holiday since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day nearly four decades ago. Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation and a promise of a brighter morning to come.
It is a day of profound weight and power that reminds us of our extraordinary capacity to heal, hope, and emerge from our most painful moments into a better version of ourselves. Great nations don’t ignore their most painful moments. They confront them to grow stronger. And that is what this great nation must continue to do.
I highlight that last part because I love it so much. YES! That is just what we do.
Is there still more work to be done? 100%! Lots more work. But Biden has done so much more than many people guessed could be done. He deserves a lot of credit. AND he deserves to be re-elected.
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These posts are written by Goodnewsroundup (Goodie),
edited by Matilda Briggs, supported by 2thanks and WolverineForTJatAW,
and reinforced by several notable Kossacks!
As with all good things, it takes a village.