06/19/2025
Juneteenth is a day to celebrate and commemorate emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the US.
A few things to know:
-Although the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery for everyone in the US, it did grant freedom to those enslaved in the rebellious states. However, those still enslaved in Texas were unaware of this proclamation until June 19, 1865 - two years after its signing and two months after the Civil War ended.
-The end of the Civil War led to ratifying the 13th Amendment, ending chattel slavery in the US.
27 states voted to ratify the Amendment and was certified on December 18, 1865.
Four states voted to reject the Amendment.
Though only ceremonial, here are the states and dates the finally voted to ratify:
New Jersey: 1866
Delaware: 1901
Kentucky: 1976
Mississippi: 1995
-Opal Lee is a well-known civil rights activist and educator who has been advocating for over 40 years to have Juneteenth recognized as a national holiday. In 2016, the then-89-year-old walked more than 1,400 miles from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., in a campaign to convince lawmakers to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday. On June 17, 2021 legislation establishing Juneteenth as a Federal holiday was finally signed into law.
Why Juneteenth matters:
-The ending of slavery did not do away with racism. Jim Crow laws were created to separate black people from white society and limit their civil rights. The legacy of those laws are still being dismantled. There continues to be racial injustice as demonstrated by the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other black Americans at the hands of police.
-There is an ongoing effort to further whitewash American history and how it is taught in our schools. Teaching a whitewashed version of American history ignores oppressions that continue today. It prevents students from understanding all aspects of our history. Understanding history includes learning about the ugly parts. And we all can be better people for it.
