TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – June 19 signifies an important day in American history, especially African American history, but many people don’t know what the day truly celebrates. In fact, it wasn’t until 2021 that “Juneteenth” was recognized as a federal holiday.
So what exactly is Juneteenth?
The holiday originated after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order during the Civil War. The proclamation declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”
Lincoln issued the proclamation freeing slaves on Jan. 1, 1863. However, not all slaves became free that day.
In the westernmost area of the Union, Galveston, Texas, people were still enslaved in 1865, despite the proclamation being given three years prior. According to PBS, Slaveholders in Texas “kept the information to themselves, extending the period of violent exploitation of enslaved African Americans.
It wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that enslaved people were told of their emancipation. Meaning that every enslaved person was now truly free. The following year, in 1866, a celebration was held in Texas, thus becoming the first Juneteenth observance to recognize freedom from slavery in the United States.
In the years since, Juneteenth has been celebrated annually on June 19 and is considered the “longest-running holiday in African American and Black communities.”
