Ask most Black Americans and they’ll tell you it’s a holiday that’s long been celebrated by African Americans, and long been drowned out by mainstream America. Read along and find out why.
Juneteenth this year will carry a lot of emotions for a lot of people this year. Juneteenth is our Independence Day, and the nature of which the liberation was given to the slaves is still relevant today. On September 22nd, 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation Order that was to take effect January 1st of 1964. On January 13th Congress passed the bill abolishing slavery. Freedom was an end that many people thought would never come, and for some slaves, it wouldn’t come for almost two more years.
Good News Travels Slow
Texas was largely unaffected by the Civil War. People often joke about Texas and how they’re like their own little country, but some of that is rooted in truth and how they operate. For some odd reason, when the Commander In Chief of the United States issued orders for slavery to end, such orders were not applied in Texas. Reasons as to why are unclear. What is known is that many slaveholders, knowing freedom had not yet made it to Texas, made a mad dash to Texas in 1863 in order to preserve their slaveholding status and preserve their wealth. It is thought by some that a deal had been made between slaveholders and government that would allow them to keep their slaves long enough to reap one last harvest. Others believe due to a lack of communication channels the word had not yet reached the extremities of the South. Even with the good intentions of ending slavery, humanity still seems to come second to the slaveholder’s poverty. This was also after hundreds of Black men had fought alongside Union soldiers.
Slavery had a vice grip on America for both whites and blacks. On June 19th when General Major Gordon Granger traveled to Galveston, Texas with the orders:
““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.”
And just like that “it” was over, but really for Black Americans “it” was only just the beginning of a new phase. Some newly freed slaves stayed South, a natural reaction for some. Others wasted no time and fleed immediately. It wasn’t easy for those that decided to leave either, as multiple freed slaves have given account of all the black bodies hanging from trees after the official freedom. Some blacks remained enslaved out of fear or out of force. I don’t imagine there was much advocacy on behalf of freed slaves. Some still remained enslaved up to six years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Even so, Juneteenth was a cause for celebration. For the first time in American history, blacks are not declared property. In fact, per the decree, they were equal to their past owners. Even with an uphill battle, this was still something to celebrate. The first celebrations taking place in Texas. Dressing up in their Sundays best, fellowshipping with friends, family, and community, over food, song, and dance.
Opposition before Recognition
In the beginning of Juneteenth celebrations, locals did what they could to stop the celebration of Juneteenth by regulating the uses of parks and public spaces, considering black ownership was not likely. However, the people took to gather by lakes and rivers for their celebrations in an effort not to let the tradition die. Overtime the tradition spread as blacks spread, migrating all over the country.
In 1979 Texas was the first state to declare Juneteenth an official holiday.
Juneteenth 2020 and Beyond
If you’re wondering why you’ve seen a big resurgence in Juneteenth celebrations, the racial tensions in this country have a lot to do with it. Since slavery, life had gotten better for blacks in America, but only just. Jim Crow-era laws, Klu Klux Klan, and systemic oppression have all continued to wage war on African Americans. One of the biggest displays we’ve been forced to watch replay over and over is the killing of black civilians by law enforcement with little to no repercussions for officers. The most recent to spark worldwide outrage was George Floyd, who was killed when Minneapolis Police Department Officer, Derek Chauvin knelt on his back for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
For a lot of Black Americans, that was the last straw. Many Black Americans don’t celebrate America’s Independence on July 4 because at that time America was still in the midst of slave trading. In this midst of fighting the British for freedom, Americans kept their knees on the necks of Africans. The shift we see happening comes from the glaring truth that Black Americans are still not totally free or equal in this country. There has never been a nationwide feeling of joy to celebrate the Independence of America. We do have a push to celebrate our own and strengthen our own.
