Juneteenth – What is Juneteenth? History of Juneteenth Day

Today, June 19, marks Juneteenth Day that remembers the finish of slavery in the United States. The nation over, Juneteenth celebrations range from festivals and parades to readings of the proclamation by General Gordon Granger. Gatherings are used as a time to reflect and rejoice.

What is Juneteenth?

As per Britannica Encyclopedia, on September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation. It pronounced freedom for all Confederate-held slaves beginning from January 1, 1863.

Be that as it may, the truth implied that the liberation was difficult to authorize in territories where the Union were absent. Texas was a zone specifically that stayed unaffected as it was separated from Union troops, and many slave proprietors moved there with their slaves.

Britannica states that before the finish of the Civil War and two years after the announcement, the number of slaves in Texas had expanded by many thousands. It wasn’t until June 19, 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger read the General Orders, No. 3, in Galveston. The order declared:

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free,” it said. “This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.

“The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages,” it continues. “They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”

While slavery in the state didn’t end overnight, it was the beginning of freedom for individuals from the black community. Freed men and women took to the streets, singing spirituals and celebrating together.

The first Juneteenth official festival occurred a year later in Texas, as indicated by Britannica.

It was simply after the death of Martin Luther King. Jr. that Juneteenth was celebrated all the more broadly over the U.S. The Poor People’s Campaign partook in a solidarity day rally on June 19, and when individuals returned home they took the Juneteenth customs with them.

Texas announced Juneteenth an official state holiday in 1980, and 44 different states, as well as the District of Columbia, watch it.

Where does the name “Juneteenth” originate from?

Juneteenth, which is otherwise called Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a mix of “June” and “nineteenth,” in honor of the day that Granger announced the annulment of slavery in Texas.

How to celebrate Juneteenth?

Many celebrate by going to festivals, concerts, parades, barbecues, by calling attention to modern disparity or by supporting black-owned businesses.

Through her media counseling agency, T. Marie Consulting, Tiandra Robinson made “502 Black Business Week.”

This week, in excess of 40 Louisville black-owned businesses are offering deals, promotions and discounts.

Why support black-owned businesses?

The Courier Journal recently announced that black entrepreneurs across the country are more likely to battle. Most depend on personal equity and family support to open a business as opposed to utilizing conventional capital, for example, business loans or credit cards — which they are more likely to be denied.