By Reverend Dr. Charles E. Collins, Jr.
For many Americans, Independence Day is synonymous with the 4th of July (1776), which commemorates the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the United States of America. The architects of this Declaration, many of whom were slave owners, crafted the language that in part states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
However, this declaration of freedom did not apply to all men. In fact, for African Americans this date and this declaration had very little significance. It would take nearly 100 years before freedom could be actualized. On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, legally changing the status of more than 3.5 million enslaved African Americans.
The Emancipation Proclamation did not officially end all acts of slavery in America. The abolishment of slavery would not happen until the passing of the 13th Amendment at the close of the Civil War, on December 18, 1865.
It was during that year on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, that General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and confirmed the news that the Civil War had ended and that enslaved African Americans were now free.
Granger’s order declared, “An equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves. So, this order affirmed equality, right, and property for African Americans.” So then, June 19th became largely symbolic of African American freedom.
The remembrance of this act of liberation became a prominent celebration in Texas, and was initially titled “Freedom Celebration,” and “Jubilee.” The day would eventually become known as Juneteenth, a word created by combining the words June and nineteenth together. First recognized in Texas in the 1860’s, it became an official state holiday in 1980, and is also known in the state as Emancipation Day.
Most states added Juneteenth to their public calendars in 2020 or later, as public awareness grew out of the nationwide unrest and national reckoning on race triggered by the killings of several Black Americans, namely George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Daniel Prude, Rayshard Brooks, Dijon Kizzee, Walter Wallace, Jr., Jonathan Price, Casey Goodson, Jr., and Andre Hill.
The following year, in June 2021, President Biden signed the legislation that made Juneteenth one of 11 federal holidays. Every state has passed some type of resolution recognizing Juneteenth as at least a day of observance. South Dakota, North Dakota and Hawaii were the last states to give any formal recognition to the importance of this day. The latter two observe the day but have not elevated Juneteenth to state holiday status.
So why Juneteenth?
Simply put, the day reminds all people of how the African American commemorative calendar and story of liberation is different from that of their white counterparts. White Americans celebrated the victory of the 4th of July, while Black Americans were reminded of the failed promises of liberty and justice for all.
As a result, Black people reflected on their many dangers, toils and snares, and created their own Emancipation Days to celebrate the hope that the present had brought them. Around the country after the Civil War, African Americans began to annually commemorate the days that they became aware of President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation of freedom.
Since the 1800s, Emancipation Days have been celebrated in Washington, DC – April 16, 1862, Florida – May 20, 1865, Georgia – May 29, 1866, Kentucky and Tennessee – August 8, 1865, Maryland – November 1, 1865, Virginia – April 3, 1865, Mississippi – May 8, 1865, locally known as “Eight o’ May”, and Texas – June 19, 1865 (Juneteenth).
The ending of chattel slavery did not rid this country of its racist history. The years following the end of the Civil War only ushered in Jim Crow laws, the rise of white supremacy, the overarching strongholds on the civil rights of Black people, and the mass criminalization of Black Americans. People in this country continue to struggle with the legacy of inequalities and racism that is at the core of this nation’s founding.
The fight for the soul of America and the charge to dismantle many of these oppressive laws remain an obstacle. This is evident, as we have found ourselves held hostage to another cultural war over the history of slavery and how it should be taught in American schools.
Freedom Celebration, Jubilee, Emancipation Day; whatever you decide to call it, Juneteenth is the day that should be widely celebrated throughout this country because it is the day that enslaved African Americans were set free. It is significant because this group of people who were forcibly in this country, but not of this country, yet basically built this country with their free labor became acknowledged; if even, slightly.
The many attempts to educate about and commemorate Juneteenth’s history have not been without its fair share of struggles. One such champion of the cause, Ms. Opal Lee, walked from Texas to Washington, D.C. in 2016, to raise awareness for the need for this holiday. She walked 2.5 miles each day, representing the two and a half years that it took for word to reach those enslaved men, women, and children in Texas, informing them that they were free.
In 2021 after the signing of the legislation making Juneteenth a holiday, she was interviewed. Her comments summed up the importance of this day. She said in part, “I’ve got so many different feelings all gurgling up in here. I don’t know what to call them all. I am so delighted to know that suddenly we’ve got a Juneteenth. It’s not a Texas thing or a black thing. It’s an American thing.”
The Reverend Dr. Charles E. Collins, Jr., specializes in bi-vocational and intergenerational ministries. Professionally, Rev. Dr. Collins has been a federal civilian employee for the past 23 years and has actively served in various ministry positions for the past 21 years.