Today we celebrate the holiday of Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on September 22, 1862 and was scheduled to take effect on January 1, 1863, it took over two and a half years for the news to reach some of the deepest parts of the former Confederacy, where there were very few Union troops to enforce the proclamation. Texas, in particular, was considered a safe haven for slaveholders. This changed when, on June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger and his soldiers rode into Galveston, TX to read General Orders No. 3: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”  

The next year, freedmen celebrated the first annual “Jubilee Day” on June 19th. It has since become a beloved holiday, “[…] both a day of remembrance and an opportunity for African-Americans to honor their history and celebrate Black culture.” Texas was the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday, in 1979, and since then almost all states recognize the date either officially or unofficially. Most recently, President Biden signed a bill on June 17, 2021 officially recognizing Juneteenth as a U.S. federal holiday. It’s the first new federal holiday since the establishment of Martin Luther King, Jr Day in 1983.

For all of us, Juneteenth is an opportunity to learn about Black history, to reflect on ways to eliminate inequality and promote social justice, to support Black-owned businesses, and to read about influential Black Americans. A good place to start is The Root 100, an annual list of “the innovators, the leaders, the public figures and the game changers whose work from the past year is breaking down barriers and paving the way for the next generation.” 

Here in DeKalb, you can celebrate Juneteenth at a community event hosted by New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, NIU Center for Black Studies, and B.L.L.A.C.K. Inc NFP. The community celebration will take place Saturday, June 19th from 12-5 p.m. at the corner of Hillcrest and Blackhawk in the Annie Glidden North neighborhood. 

For more information: https://www.shawlocal.com/daily-chronicle/news/local/2021/06/09/juneteenth-celebration-block-party-planned-in-annie-glidden-north-neighborhood/