AAACE Celebrates Juneteenth
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By the African American Association of County Employees
Juneteenth is a time for learning, reflecting and celebrating progress towards unity and freedom in America to strive for a better future. The historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times.
What is Juneteenth and why is it a holiday?
In 1865, on June 19 more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln declared all enslaved persons free, Major General Gordon Granger and Union Army troops marched to Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and free the last enslaved Black Americans in Texas. Those who were freed celebrated their long-overdue emancipation on June 19.
Today, celebrating Juneteenth is a chance to celebrate human freedom, reflect on the grievous legacy of slavery, and commit to rooting out systemic racism that continues to plague our society as we strive to deliver the full promise of America to every American. Only through the 13 Amendment did emancipation end slavery through the United States. Juneteenth is America’s second Independence Day.
Why do they call it Juneteenth?
The official name of the federal holiday is Juneteenth National Independence Day; it’s also known as Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day and Freedom Day. The holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, observed annually on June 19. The name Juneteenth comes from a combination of the words “June” and “nineteenth.”
How is Juneteenth celebrated?
Juneteenth celebrations in the United States typically include prayer and religious services, speeches, educational events, family gatherings, picnics and festivals with food, music and dancing. The day is also celebrated outside the United States and is used to recognize the end of slavery as well as to celebrate African American culture and achievements.
When did Juneteenth become recognized as a holiday?
Juneteenth became a state holiday in Texas in 1980 and several other states subsequently followed suit thereafter. In 2021, Juneteenth was made a federal holiday. The day is also celebrated outside the United States, being used by organizations, several countries, to recognize the end of slavery and to honor the culture and achievements of African Americans.
The Meaning of the Flag
The red, white and blue color scheme that mimics that of the American flag was a conscious choice. It is meant to connote that enslaved people (who were not granted citizenships) and their descendants were and always have been Americans. It also signifies the United States’ continued responsibility to do right by those affected by the continued injustices faced by Black Americans.
The Juneteenth flag has a white star in the center, meant to represent both Texas (the Lone Star State), as well as the freedom of enslaved people in all 50 states. The Juneteenth flag was created in 1977 by activist Ben Haith, founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation, with the help of illustrator Lisa Jeanna Graf. The deliberate process of designing the flag, which is brimming with symbols of the day’s meaning, has made it an integral component of the holiday.
Source documentation for the write up is based on the information from the following website.
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