• Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

  Why do we recognize Juneteenth?

  Posted by Stacey Givens on June 8, 2022 at 9:01 am

  Hello everyone!

  On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation making June 19 a federal holiday. Some of you know this date as Juneteenth, the day that enslaved Black people learned that the Emancipation Proclamation was signed ending slavery (for some). For others, Juneteenth may be as new to you as it was to those in Galveston, Texas in 1865.

  As a native Oregonian educated in suburban schools, Juneteenth was not referenced in my history class.  We learned that “Lincoln freed the slaves” when he signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, but news traveled slowly in the 19th century. Sadly, this historical fact is still slowly making its way into classrooms across the nation. Disappointed that I was unaware of this important date, I made it a point to learn what happened, where, and share it with others.

  On the eve of January 1, 1863, enslaved and freed Black Americans assembled at churches across the country awaiting news of Lincoln?s Emancipation Proclamation. (Today, we refer to this as Watch Night service, then it was called Freedom’s Eve.) Three years into the Civil War, Lincoln shifted the trajectory of the nation declaring freedom to the enslaved. The catch? The proclamation only applied to states that had seceded from the United States and exempted parts of the Confederacy. (As we know, slavery was not abolished until the Thirteenth Amendment, signed by Lincoln on January 31, 1865 and ratified on December 6, 1865.)

  On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and issued General Order Number 3, which read in part, “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.? (Source: Texas State Library & Archives Commission)
  

  After centuries of toiling in fields, beaten and traumatized, the songs of freedom were realized. Some 250,000 enslaved Black folks learned they were free. They could not have known the enduring fight to fully realize freedoms afforded to all Americans, but that day marked the beginning of a shift for Black American as citizens of this country. 

  As we celebrate Juneteenth in the coming weeks, may we all remember the historical significance and take the opportunity to ask someone, Do you know why we celebrate Juneteenth? If they don’t, tell them the story.

  Be well,

  

  ——————————
  Stacey Givens
  Director of Strategic Initiatives and Senior Diversity Officer
  ACUI
  Bloomington IN
  ——————————

  Stacey Givens replied 3 years, 10 months ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
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