Juneteenth: Celebrating Freedom

JUNETEENTH celebrating freedom

Celebrating Juneteenth: Why It’s Important

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WHAT IS JUNETEENTH? Juneteenth (June 19th) is an annual celebration for the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday commemorates a specific date: June 19, 1865, the day federal troops arrived in Texas to ensure all enslaved people were freed. While President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had gone into effect more than two years earlier on January 1, 1863, over 250,000 slaves in Texas were unaware of the then yearsold news they were free.

WHY CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH? Juneteenth marks a date of major significance in American History, representing the ways in which freedom for black people had been delayed. It is a reminder that “nobody is free until everybody is free”.

Simply put, Juneteenth is “the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States,” according to Juneteenth.com. It serves as both a day of rememberance and opportunity for AfricanAmericans to honor their history and celebrate black culture.

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THE HISTORY OF JUNETEENTH

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J A N U A RY 1, 18 6 3 President Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation, effectively calling for the emancipation of African-Americans from slavery in the U.S. Despite this, more than 250,000 slaves in Texas were unaware of their freedom, according to the National Museum of African American History & Culture.

18 6 6 Freed Slaves in Texas marked June 19 with anniversary celebrations, including prayer services and church gatherings in the Black community. Over subsequent years, annual Juneteenth celebrations continued, with former slaves and their families celebrating their freedom across generations. It marks a day for “grass-roots celerbation highlighted by joyous singing, pig roasts, and rodeos,” according to Smithsonian Magazine.

J U NE 19, 18 6 5 Major General Gordon Granger of the union Army lands in Galveston Texas with roughly 2,000 Union soldiers to enforce President Licoln’s Emanicpation Proclamation.

There are varying accounts of why it took so long for the news of slavery’s abolition. Regardless, Granger’s arrival and the news kicked off widespread celebrations accross the state.

19 3 8 -T O DAY Texas designates June 19 as a day of observance for Juneteenth celebrations, called Emancipation day, two days after up to 200,000 people turned out for celebrations in Dallas.

Juneteenth did not become an official state holiday in Texas until 1980. As of 2020, 47 States and the District of Columbia have all passed legislation recognizing juneteenth as either a state holiday or day of observance.

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Storytellers to Watch

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C U LT U R S M A G A Z I N E

JUNETEENTH: A FEAST OF FREEDOM

With perspectives on blackness from the Caribbean, South American, European, African, U.S. , mixedrace, TCK, Military BRATs, Expats, Immigrants and more, you won’t find a more comprehensive collection of viewpoints in a magazine anywhere.

This interactive recipe book honors the vibrant and rich legacy of black ancestral cooking and African American history. This book celebrates simplicity, praises tradition, and honors our strong roots. This is a menu that celebrates freedom.

REDEFINING NORMAL: Valuing Lives A Message from Joe Hyrkin, CEO, Issuu Like so many Americans, I’ve spent this week at a loss for how I can play a meaningful part in helping to move our country and culture forward. I am disturbed to my core by the murder of George Floyd and I applaud the peaceful protesters across the country who are shining a brilliant light on our need to acknowledge and finally deal with the decades of racism and inequality that is woven into the fabric of our culture. At Issuu, we stand with those who are striving for a real change, focusing on the humanity in us all and giving voice to the despair and fear that so many feel.

We stand with those against racism, injustice, and inequality.

There is a lot of hurt in the world today. While many of us were just hoping to get back to our workplace and our pre-COVID, “normal” lives, the killing of George Floyd reminds us that we need our collective focus to be on something bigger than getting back to normalcy. It’s a wake up call, that for many, normal has been about living with racism. It’s time to do more than we ever have. Let’s not make this one of those moments in time where we look back and remember the George Floyd protests. Rather, let’s expand this movement to create a new normal which is about the hard work of making the changes we need to put in place to be able to embrace each other and to look for and see the value in each other.

It’s time to listen. It’s time to support both those we know that have suffered from inequality and those we’ve never met. It’s not enough to just be horrified and disturbed. This has to be a turning point where together we look beyond our politics, class, and race and, step by step, move toward embracing our similarities and our humanness. We need this to be the commitment of our lifetime, rather than just a week or two where people protested, tweeted and blogged. This has to be a sustained movement that creates the new normal built on a foundation of seeing and appreciating each other’s value.

I’ll start with a donation to the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit committed to challenging racial injustice, ending mass incarceration and protecting the human rights of some of the most vulnerable people in American society. At Issuu, I’ve created a matching grant to encourage our employees to also give. We’ll continue to share the great content on Issuu that celebrates diversity, challenges our thinking, and offers insights into ways to support this movement and create real change. I know this is only a step, but it’s a step in the right direction. I’m not sure how to really make the difference I want to make, but I’m committed to learn more and share what I’m learning along the way. It’s time, America. Dignity calls.

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