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What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth goes by many names. Whether you call it Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, or the country's second Independence Day, Juneteenth is one of the most important anniversaries in our nation's history. On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, who had fought for the Union, led a force of soldiers to Galveston, Texas, to deliver a very important message: The war was finally over, the Union had won, and it now had the manpower to enforce the end of slavery. The announcement came two months after the effective conclusion of the Civil War, and even longer since President Abraham Lincoln had first signed the Emancipation Proclamation, but many enslaved Black people in Texas still weren't free, even after that day. What Juneteenth represents First things first: Juneteenth gets its name from combining "June" and "nineteenth," the day that Granger arrived in Galveston, bearing a message of freedom for the slaves there. Upon his arrival, he read out General Order No. 3, informing the residents that slavery would no longer be tolerated and that all slaves were now free and would henceforth be treated as hired workers if they chose to remain on the plantations, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This would be the first time that black Americans would be paid for their work on American soil. What’s Next Educate yourself and others around you. Many still believe that Juneteenth shouldn’t be recognized, others have no idea what Juneteenth is about. I hope that sharing a bit of the history behind my legacy and so many others like me will inspire you to want to know more.

What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth goes by many names. Whether you call it Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, or the country's second Independence Day, Juneteenth is one of the most important anniversaries in our nation's history. On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, who had fought for the Union, led a force of soldiers to Galveston, Texas, to deliver a very important message: The war was finally over, the Union had won, and it now had the manpower to enforce the end of slavery. The announcement came two months after the effective conclusion of the Civil War, and even longer since President Abraham Lincoln had first signed the Emancipation Proclamation, but many enslaved Black people in Texas still weren't free, even after that day. What Juneteenth represents First things first: Juneteenth gets its name from combining "June" and "nineteenth," the day that Granger arrived in Galveston, bearing a message of freedom for the slaves there. Upon his arrival, he read out General Order No. 3, informing the residents that slavery would no longer be tolerated and that all slaves were now free and would henceforth be treated as hired workers if they chose to remain on the plantations, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This would be the first time that black Americans would be paid for their work on American soil. What’s Next Educate yourself and others around you. Many still believe that Juneteenth shouldn’t be recognized, others have no idea what Juneteenth is about. I hope that sharing a bit of the history behind my legacy and so many others like me will inspire you to want to know more.

As the Mediabarn team prepares to honor Juneteenth tomorrow, June 19th, some may be wondering: What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth is a day to honor Black Americans' history, heritage, and contributions to society. A blend of "June" and "nineteenth", it is a holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States in 1865. The end of the Civil War meant freedom of all enslaved people. This announcement came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Although the Emancipation Proclamation declared the freedom of enslaved people in Confederate states, Union Major General Gordon Granger's announcement ensured freedom for all. Juneteenth has grown in prominence over the years. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, making it a federal holiday. While Juneteenth has become a symbol of Black American freedom and achievement, it also serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for equality and justice. Whether or not you are able to take the day to honor this important moment in history and the ongoing movement, we urge you to do something to further educate yourself on their significance. The more we know, the better we can be. Photograph: Emancipation Day celebration, June 19, 1900 held in "East Woods" on East 24th Street in Austin, Texas.  Credit: Austin History Center; Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture #juneteenth

Many things need to be said about this very special June 19th holiday and many more need to be heard. Such important history to learn and to cherish. I am grateful for the gift of Juneteenth - grateful to Black Americans, African Americans, who have held this holiday for so long and have generously shared it with all of us as a national celebration of the single greatest moment of progress in our nation's history. I think it's ok that lots of people are not sure exactly how to incorporate Juneteenth into their traditions, their lives, their tongues; and it’s certainly understandable if Black Americans find the widening of the circle strange or suspicious. I embrace the challenge of making it my own, our own, without appropriating it from those who have given it to our nation, whose freedom it fundamentally celebrates. I believe that our role together is the full redemption of the nation we know as the United States, which has debts still to pay, wrongs still to right, ongoing crimes and slanders alive and well, and a future that is looking down the barrel of a gun right now. Lets start from awareness that the debts are real, and the legal/policy life of America after emancipation was not freedom at all. Not at all. And also let’s aim for the possibility that the complexity of defining those debts and accounting for the damage done and being done still is something we can handle. Let's be brave. Let's prove worthy. Let’s choose to rise to this special occasion. #Juneteenth

29 Books for Black History Month. Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad; by Matthew F. Delmont Over one million Black men and women served in World War II. Black troops were at Normandy, Iwo Jima, and the Battle of the Bulge, serving in segregated units and performing unheralded but vital support jobs, only to be denied housing and educational opportunities on their return home. Without their crucial contributions to the war effort, the United States could not have won the war. And yet the stories of these Black veterans have long been ignored, cast aside in favor of the myth of the “Good War” fought by the “Greatest Generation.” Half American is American history as you’ve likely never read it before. In these pages are stories of Black heroes such as Thurgood Marshall, the chief lawyer for the NAACP, who investigated and publicized violence against Black troops and veterans; Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., leader of the Tuskegee Airmen, who was at the forefront of the years-long fight to open the Air Force to Black pilots; Ella Baker, the civil rights leader who advocated on the home front for Black soldiers, veterans, and their families; James Thompson, the 26-year-old whose letter to a newspaper laying bare the hypocrisy of fighting against fascism abroad when racism still reigned at home set in motion the Double Victory campaign; and poet Langston Hughes, who worked as a war correspondent for the Black press. Their bravery and patriotism in the face of unfathomable racism is both inspiring and galvanizing. In a time when the questions World War II raised regarding race and democracy in America remain troublingly relevant and still unanswered, this meticulously researched retelling makes for urgently necessary reading.

The official Juneteenth flag is deliberately designed in a red, white and blue color scheme just like the American flag, and has a white star in the center, meant to represent both Texas (the Lone Star State), as well as the freedom of enslaved foundational Black Americans in other states. Juneteenth celebration began with the freed slaves of Galveston, Texas. And while the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in the South in 1863, it could not be enforced in many places until after the end of the Civil War in 1865. After the emancipation proclamation was enforced in1865 there were black people in the United States still enslaved up until the 1960's. So technically Foundational Black Americans should have more than one freedom day celebration. It should actually be at least 4 freedom celebrations, Juneteenth, 4th Of July because former slaves in South Carolina, and another for the Foundational Black Americans who were enslaved up until the 1960's identified in the article. According to the article with stories from Southern states like Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Florida there should be more. Link to full articles below. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in June of 2021 and is celebrated nationwide with parades, concerts, parties and gatherings with family and friends. Today, let's celebrate Freedom Day for those who fought to be free here on June 19th 1865! #Reparations 💰#ReparationsNow 💰 #ReparationsIsADebtOwed 💰 #StopAntiBlackHate #StopAntiBlackRacism #antiblackhatecrimebillnow .

From the Washington Post, an article entitled, “What to know about Juneteenth and its historical significance” @ https://lnkd.in/eiPXv_dn Here’s a snippet… Tomorrow, June 19th, the United States observes Juneteenth to commemorate the end of slavery, a painful chapter in the nation’s history whose legacy continues to reverberate. Juneteenth, a combination of the words “June” and “nineteenth” has been celebrated for decades by Black communities as Emancipation Day, but the recent broader reckoning over racial injustices and deepening political polarization has thrust the day further into national and cultural prominence. Many states and cities plan festivities to mark Juneteenth, which is often celebrated with parades, street parties and cookouts. The day is a historic one for American history, civil rights activists say, and memorializing it reaffirms the country’s quest for equality. The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 freed enslaved people in Confederate states, but it did not immediately end slavery in places such as Texas that remained under Confederate control. Two and a half years later, on June 19, 1865, Union troops led by Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and announced that more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free. Nationwide emancipation would come only with the ratification of the 13th Amendment later that year. For Black people, the news was a moment of “indescribable joy” that was met with large celebrations in Texas. Also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth Independence Day and Black Independence Day, the day remains deeply significant for the community. June 19th became a kind of July 4th celebration for African Americans. Recognizing history is part of the process. We can’t make progress unless we have knowledge of where we are and where we have been.

"Juneteenth stands as a profound testament to the resilience, fortitude, and enduring struggle of Black Americans for freedom and equality. Originating from the delayed announcement of emancipation in Texas on June 19, 1865, Juneteenth signifies not only the belated end of slavery but also the ongoing quest for justice and recognition of human dignity. We’ve come too far to turn back now, and we must accelerate the momentum toward actualizing freedom for all Americans.” To keep reading and learn more check out our NEW OpEd on the profound history of Juneteenth! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ePimf8eR #Juneteenth #EqualityMatters #StrongerTogether #OpEd #HistoryMovesUsForward

🎉 JUNETEENTH🎉 On June 19, 1865, freedom finally arrived for the 250,000 enslaved people of Texas. This day marked the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been the law of the land for two and a half years already. Juneteenth, officially Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States. It commemorates the end of slavery and celebrates the resilience, strength, and contributions of Black Americans. Juneteenth is more than just a historical event; it symbolizes the ongoing fight for equality and justice. It’s a reminder that America was founded on the idea that all people are created equal and deserve equal treatment. 🌿 How can you observe Juneteenth? Learn: Educate yourself about Juneteenth’s significance and its impact on American history. Celebrate: Attend local events, parades, and community gatherings. Reflect: Take a moment to honor the resilience of those who fought for freedom. Support: Engage with Black-owned businesses and organizations. Advocate: Continue the work toward a more just and equitable society. 💪 Let’s celebrate Juneteenth together!

Today we celebrate #Juneteenth. On June 19th, 1865, more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in Texas were informed, finally, that they were free by decree of the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation, which had been signed more than two years before that fateful day, freed enslaved people in confederate states. It would take another six months before the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified making slavery illegal, except as punishment for a crime (the fine print) and freeing the remaining 100,000 enslaved people in states that never seceded from the union during the Civil War. The story of Juneteenth is a story of justice delayed. A story that Black people in this country know all too well. On this day, we remember those who continue to fight to make the full rights of citizenship a reality of all people. Juneteenth is a day to remember, grieve, reflect, and tell the truth of this country’s history and its legacy of enslavement. It’s a day to celebrate freedom and to acknowledge its unfulfilled promises. The work of repair is still very much in progress but Juneteenth reminds us of how far we’ve come.