What does Juneteenth celebrate?
What does Juneteenth celebrate?
Learn more about the history of Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Transcript
Juneteenth is a holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday is also known as Emancipation Day. It is celebrated every year on June 19. The name comes from the date: “June” plus “nineteenth” equals “Juneteenth.”
The Juneteenth flag uses the red, white, and blue of the United States flag to show that enslaved people in the United States and their descendants all were and are Americans.
The white star and its burst symbol on the flag represent newness and freedom.
During the American Civil War Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. It made slavery illegal in the states of the Confederacy. However, the Confederate states did not follow that law. The enslaved people in those states did not gain their freedom right away. Some escaped, but others remained enslaved until Northern troops captured their region and freed them. Texas was the last state to fall. On June 19, 1865, enslaved people in Texas learned of the Emancipation Proclamation for the first time. One year later, free Black Texans celebrated the first anniversary of the day they learned of emancipation. By the time enslaved Texans learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Civil War was practically over. Within just a few months the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution became law. That amendment officially ended slavery in the United States. People continued to celebrate Juneteenth in Texas, and the holiday slowly spread throughout the country. Today, it is celebrated with speeches, religious services, family gatherings, marches, and festivals.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021.
KAMALA HARRIS: So throughout history Juneteenth has been known by many names: Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Liberation Day, Emancipation Day, and today, a national holiday.
The Juneteenth flag uses the red, white, and blue of the United States flag to show that enslaved people in the United States and their descendants all were and are Americans.
The white star and its burst symbol on the flag represent newness and freedom.
During the American Civil War Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. It made slavery illegal in the states of the Confederacy. However, the Confederate states did not follow that law. The enslaved people in those states did not gain their freedom right away. Some escaped, but others remained enslaved until Northern troops captured their region and freed them. Texas was the last state to fall. On June 19, 1865, enslaved people in Texas learned of the Emancipation Proclamation for the first time. One year later, free Black Texans celebrated the first anniversary of the day they learned of emancipation. By the time enslaved Texans learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Civil War was practically over. Within just a few months the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution became law. That amendment officially ended slavery in the United States. People continued to celebrate Juneteenth in Texas, and the holiday slowly spread throughout the country. Today, it is celebrated with speeches, religious services, family gatherings, marches, and festivals.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021.
KAMALA HARRIS: So throughout history Juneteenth has been known by many names: Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Liberation Day, Emancipation Day, and today, a national holiday.