Juneteenth: 12 Things You Might Not Know

Listed below are 12 things to know about Juneteenth.

1. The Name

The holiday gets its name by combining the month "June" and the date "nineteenth." It was the month and the date when Major General Gordon Granger announced in Galveston, Texas that slaves were free.

Therefore, the celebration always falls on June 19 no matter what day of the week the date falls on. Over the years, Juneteenth has been known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Black Independence Day, Cel-Liberation Day, and Juneteenth Independence Day. Now that Juneteenth is a federal holiday, its official name is Juneteenth National Independence Day.

2. Date of the Announcement

On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger announced in Galveston, Texas that slaves were free. Since then, June 19 has been celebrated as Juneteenth across the nation. The interesting thing is that the 250,000 slaves in Texas had already been freed since January 1, 1863. They just didn't know it because no one told them.

Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation two and a half years earlier. That meant the people were free, but they still lived and worked as slaves.

3. The Delayed Announcement

News traveled very slowly back then, but there was a 30-month gap between the time Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and the announcement to the slaves.

A theory suggested that some Texans deliberately withheld the information so the slaves could continue to work. Another theory circulated that the original messenger was killed to keep the information a secret. The real reason is probably that even though Lincoln's proclamation was issued, it wasn't due to be enforced until a later date.

4. Freed Slaves Were Urged to Stay Put

According to General Order No. 3 that General Granger read, the slaves were urged to stay with their masters and work for pay. They were needed for the cotton harvest.

5. Most Freed People Left Immediately

Most of the newly freed people didn't want to stay even if they were paid for working. As soon as Granger finished the announcement, many formerly enslaved people left the state to find family members and better accommodations than those they had been forced to have.

6. All Slaves Were Not Freed Immediately

According to historian James Smallwood, many slave owners deliberately withheld the information that slaves were freed until after the harvest and even longer. Some slaves were not released until 1868, which was five years after Lincoln's proclamation and three years after Granger's announcement.

7. Freed People Were Prevented From Leaving

Texas slave owners regarded slaves as their property, and they didn't think the freed slaves should leave. When they attempted to leave, many of them were beaten, lynched, or killed.

8. Celebration Was Prevented

People tried to celebrate their freedom the first year after the announcement, but segregation laws kept them from using public places or parks. Therefore, former slaves pooled their money and came up with $800 and bought 10 acres of land so they could have a place to celebrate. They called the place "Emancipation Park." Until the 1950s, it was the only public park and swimming pool opened to African Americans in the Houston, Texas area.

9. Celebrations Were Not Popular

For many years, Juneteenth wasn't celebrated. During the civil rights movement of the 1960s, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. planned the Poor People's March. It was deliberately scheduled to coincide with Juneteenth. After the march, people began to focus more on Juneteenth, and celebrations became popular.

10. Texas Was First to Declare Juneteenth a State Holiday

Texas was the first to declare Juneteenth a state holiday. Former President Barack Obama tried to make Juneteenth a federal holiday when he was in office, but it was not approved during his administration. Today, Juneteenth is a federal holiday because President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on Thursday, June 17, 2021. Therefore, Juneteenth is a federal holiday in all of the United States.

11. Ways Juneteenth is Celebrated

There are different ways states celebrate Juneteenth. The southern states celebrate with oral histories, readings, and the singing of traditional songs. People celebrate with barbecue as the main dish along with red beans, watermelon, red velvet cake, strawberry pie, a red-flavored Kool-Aid, strawberry soda, or red punch. The color of those foods and drinks symbolizes the blood that was shed during slavery.

In the southwest, rodeos have become part of the tradition. There are family reunions, contests, concerts, and parades in some states around the country.

12. Companies Give Employees a Paid Day Off

Companies help people celebrate Juneteenth by giving employees a day off to celebrate the end of slavery. In 2023, Juneteenth is a federal holiday celebrated on Monday, June 19. Therefore, employees will have a long weekend to celebrate.

Since Juneteenth is a federal holiday, all Federal Reserve Banks and branches will be closed. Post offices will be closed, and there will be no mail delivery. The federal holiday does not affect the school calendar because schools are closed for summer vacation.