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Curious to learn about the history and significance of Juneteenth, but without the typical AI answers? Dig into some Adrian Informed answers brought to you by Adrian Miller, the Soul Food Scholar, for a quick and comprehensive overview that will enrich your knowledge and journalism.
What is the origin of the word “Juneteenth”?
Juneteenth contracts “June 19th,” “June the Nineteenth,” or the “Nineteenth of June.”
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth commemorates when on June 19th, 1865, Union Army General Gordon Granger issued “General Order No. 3” from his military headquarters in Galveston, Texas. Many enslaved people in Texas interpreted that order as the beginning when they were officially freed. This later became known as the “Juneteenth Order.”
Source: Edward T. Cotham, Jr., Juneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration, pp. xi, 180.
When was the term Juneteenth first used?
The earliest documented mention of Juneteenth that I’ve found was a mocking “Local News” item published in the white majority, Brenham, Texas newspaper dated June 25, 1891: “There was not as many colored people in the city as usual on Saturday evening, all of them, very near, being out at the ‘Juneteenth’ sillibration (sic).” Most certainly, the term Juneteenth was in use before that article was printed.
Source: “Local News,” Brenham Weekly Banner, June 25, 1891.
Were enslaved people freed on Juneteenth?
Technically, yes and no. The Emancipation Proclamation and Granger’s General Order No. 3 were under military law and specifically applied to enslaved people in areas in rebellion against the United States during the Civil War, including Texas. If an area permitted slavery but remained loyal to the Union, enslaved were not legally freed. Yet, whether in a slave state or not, many enslaved believed they were free when they got the news. At the time, there was disagreement about whether the military orders would still be valid after the Civil War ended. Even President Lincoln was unsure,
Slavery was not officially abolished until the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on December 6, 1865. The notable exception to the Thirteenth Amendment is that someone can be submitted to involuntary servitude if they have been duly convicted of a crime.
Sources: Allen C. Guelzo, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America; 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery (1865) | National Archives
Was Juneteenth the first day that enslaved people in Texas heard that they were free?
Most likely, no. Enslaved people probably knew about the Emancipation Proclamation and how the Civil War was unfolding through informal communication networks, but they couldn’t do anything about it because no one was there to enforce their freedom. As it did in other parts of the country, the arrival of the Union Army changed that. Even after the Juneteenth Order, some enslavers delayed telling their enslaved workforce that they were free until forced to do so.
Source: Edward T. Cotham, Jr., Juneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration, pp. 198, 201-2.
How did enslaved people get official news of the Juneteenth Order?
The Juneteenth Order was disseminated to the public through a variety of means, including handbills, newspapers, and telegraph messages. In many instances, Union soldiers delivered this news. Oral history from formerly enslaved people state that many enslavers either read aloud the Juneteenth Order in its entirety to the enslaved or paraphrased it to say “You’re as free as I am.”
Source: Edward T. Cotham, Jr., Juneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration, pp. 198.
When was the first Juneteenth celebration?
Though not a Juneteenth celebration, on January 2, 1866, Flake’s Bulletin, a Galveston, Texas newspaper reported: “The colored people of Galveston celebrated their emancipation from slavery yesterday by a procession.” According to military historian Edward T. Cotham, Jr., “One of the first large celebrations of Juneteenth recorded in the newspapers took place in Houston on Tuesday, June 19, 1866.” The term Juneteenth was not yet in common usage in 1866, so other descriptive terms were used. The Houston Telegraph and The New York Times newspapers respectively described the Houston event as “the negro celebration of the anniversary of their freedom” and “[t]he freedmen’s celebration of emancipation.”
Source: Edward T. Cotham, Jr., Juneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration, State House Press (2021), pp. 238-39: Galveston’s Juneteenth Story: And Still We Rise, Galveston Historical Foundation with Tommie Boudreaux, Alice Gatson, Jami Durham, and W. Dwayne Jones, History Press (2024), p. 44.
When did Juneteenth become a state holiday in Texas?
In 1979, the Texas State Legislature passed Texas House Bill 1016 to declare June 19th as “Emancipation Day in Texas” and an official state holiday beginning in 1980.
Source: Texas Observes Juneteenth | TSLAC
When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday?
On Thursday, June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed U.S. Senate Bill 475, otherwise known as the “Juneteenth National Independence Day Act,” which made Juneteenth a legal, federal, public holiday. As a result, individual states are not required to observe Juneteenth as a holiday.
Source: Bill Signed: S. 475 | The White House
Who is “the Grandmother of Juneteenth?”
Opal Lee is a retired educator who passionately raised national awareness about Juneteenth. As late as 2016, Lee started advocating for a Juneteenth national holiday, including walking from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, DC, and an online petition. She did this while in her late 80s and 90s! Because of her high-profile, and ultimately successful efforts, she earned the nickname “the Grandmother of Juneteenth.”
Source: “Grandmother of Juneteenth” Opal Lee reflects on her journey to secure a national holiday – CBS News
What foods are traditionally associated with Juneteenth?
As a summertime holiday in Texas, it’s not surprising that the foods strongly associated with Juneteenth are barbecue (beef, chicken, mutton, or pork), watermelon, and an ice-cold, red-colored beverage, typically a strawberry-flavored soda pop. In recent years, more foods have been added, notably red velvet cake and strawberry pie.
Why are red-colored foods associated with Juneteenth?
In the Juneteenth context, red-colored foods are preferred because the color red symbolizes the blood previously shed by enslaved West Africans. Made in Waco, Texas, Big Red Soda has long been a popular beverage choice for Juneteenth celebrations.
What were Juneteenth celebrations like?
In the early decades after Emancipation, Juneteenth celebrations often began solemnly. There would be a church service, formal speeches by local public officials and prominent citizens, and a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. Formerly enslaved people were given a place of honor, and at times, would share their experience with slavery so that those in attendance would never forget what happened to them. Afterwards, the event would transition to spectacle and amusement. There could be a formal parade, musical performances ranging from spirituals to a brass band, historical dramas, or pageants followed by games, athletic competitions (typically baseball), and a large public picnic featuring the Juneteenth foods.
How did Juneteenth spread?
As Texans familiar with Juneteenth migrated to other parts of the U.S., they transplanted the holiday in their new homes. These celebrations often started as backyard cookouts with family and friends, especially homesick Texans. In time, as word of the good times spread, the small, informal parties grew into public celebrations. These public celebrations proliferated across the country to the point that by the time Juneteenth became a federal holiday, it was already being celebrated in many parts of the country.
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