History of Juneteenth
This year, Juneteenth falls on Sunday, June. 19, 2022.
In 2021, President Biden signed legislation to declare Juneteenth a federal holiday. According to the National Urban League president, Marc Morial, “[Juneteenth] gives this generation and those to come an annual opportunity to learn and recognize the role that chattel slavery—in all of its vile brutality—played in the founding of this nation.”
What is Juneteenth? On Jun. 19, 1865, about two months after the Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, Va., Gordon Granger, a Union general, arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved African-Americans of their freedom and that the Civil War had ended. General Granger’s announcement put into effect the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued more than two and a half years earlier on Jan. 1, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln.
The holiday received its name by combining June and 19. The day is also sometimes called “Juneteenth Independence Day,” “Freedom Day,” or “Emancipation Day.”
*Celebrating Juneteenth as an ally
Juneteenth is an American holiday that offers everyone a chance to reflect on the past and celebrate the promise of a more equitable future. For those wondering how to celebrate Juneteenth as an ally, here are a few ideas to consider:
- Start locally by learning more about the Black history in your own area and within your own community.
- Create space for family, friends, and co-workers to have conversations around topics relevant to the Black community.
- Surprise loved ones with gifts from Black-owned businesses and organizations.
- Support efforts to uplift the Black community around Juneteenth and throughout the year.
Find more suggestions on how you can support Black friends and family in your life here.
*Courtesy of Hallmark
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