HOW JUNETEENTH CAME TO BE

By: Kalani Wilson

Today is the day many Black Americans commemorate Black freedom, particularly in the confederate state of Texas. For years enslaved Black people fought, prayed, hoped, and sang for freedom, and finally on June 19th,1865–two years after the emancipation proclamation was signed—were their prayers answered. Although the emancipation proclamation was signed, enslavers in Texas continued to keep their slaves until the announcement of freedom rode into Texas. Juneteenth was not the day slaves were freed but the day enslaved people in Texas learned they had been free, for two years, thus marking the date now known as Juneteenth, a day marking complete African American freedom from enslavement.

Illustration: Dom Guzman

For many, Juneteenth is viewed as an alternate independence day in which all Black people were no longer legally considered enslaved people nor property and instead considered equal to their white counterparts.

For others, however, it’s another day to remember just how far Black citizens still have to go to reach complete liberation. Juneteenth is a reminder that freedom for Black people may be recognized on the calendar but it’s not in society.

Juneteenth is a day to celebrate the victory of the abolition of slavery but also a day to recognize that Black people in America are still not treated as equal. It is time to fully acknowledge a time in history that still influences society today and shapes the ways in which Black people are treated. Use Juneteenth as a day to reflect and recognize Black struggle as well as Black achievement.

Juneteenth at Oak Bluffsa by Sonia Sadler

Happy Juneteenth!

Writer: Kalani Wilson

Website: Human Central

Published: June 19, 2021