Happy Juneteenth!
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Juneteenth may not be recognized as a federal holiday, but it deserves to be celebrated.
It marks the day in 1865 when news arrived in Galveston, Texas that the enslaved were now free.
This was more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, and explanations for the delay vary (Messenger murdered? Lack of sufficient Union forces to enforce executive order? News deliberately withheld?). In any case, on June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston with the following message:
"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."
Juneteenth traditions vary by place, but regardless of specifics, the holiday is a time for celebrating African American freedom and achievement, and for reflection, education, and self improvement.
Speaking of education, reflection and self improvement…
You can read more about the history of Juneteenth here and here.
Here are additional articles to check out:
“Meaningful Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth This Year,” from Travel & Leisure
National Museum of African American History and Culture Releases “Talking About Race” Web Portal
“Socially Distant, Nature Based Ways to Mark Juneteenth” (for those in Washington DC)
And here are some of the items on our listening list for today:
