By Megan Sayles
AFRO Business Writer
msayles@afro.com
Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, commemorates the day that Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to declare the freedom of some 250,000 enslaved African Americans in the state. Two years prior, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which decreed the liberation of enslaved people in Confederate territories during the Civil War.
According to the National Archives, on June 19, 1865, “U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, which informed the people of Texas that all enslaved people were now free.”
The holiday is known by a variety of monikers, like “Jubilee Day,” “Black Independence Day” and “Freedom Day.” In 2021, President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday.
“One of the most important things about Juneteenth is that its rise was meteoric. The fact that it was established as a federal holiday only partly speaks to its popularity and impact,” said Anthony Cohen, historian and president of the Menare Foundation, an organization that protects the legacy of the Underground Railroad. “I think the Black Lives Matter movement and the murder of George Floyd really elevated the observance of the holiday in the American mind.”
“The codification of it into federal law has elevated it as a holiday like we’ve seen no other— it being celebrated almost instantly nationwide,” continued Cohen. “The history is also being retold and learned by generations who have never heard of it.”
Cohen learned about Juneteenth as a young child, before he could really grasp the significance. His mother was born in Houston, Texas, just two blocks away from Emancipation Park, which was created in 1872 to hold Juneteenth celebrations.
He said people often mistake the holiday for the end of slavery, but that wouldn’t come until December 1865 with the passing of the 13th Amendment.
“Lincoln’s proclamation effectively didn’t free slaves anywhere. It was more symbolic. It was aimed at people enslaved in the Confederate or rebel states, which Lincoln did not have control over,” said Cohen. “But, it sent a very clear message that the Union was fighting for the end of slavery where it existed.”
Maryland was a border state during the Civil War. Although it was a slave state, Maryland did not secede from the Union and was not subject to the Emancipation Proclamation. However, according to David Armenti, vice president of education and engagement at the Maryland Center for History and Culture, the decree made way for Black men to gain freedom by enlisting in the Union Army.
“Soon after the proclamation, we start to see that men are being enrolled in the United States Colored Troops,” said Armenti. “In Maryland, we see a lot of individuals either self-emancipating by going to places like Baltimore or Washington D.C. where there is a federal government presence or we see individuals being freed, manumitted and enlisted.”
In November 1864, the state of Maryland enacted a new constitution, which officially outlawed slavery months before the 13th Amendment was ratified in December 1865.
“This happened while the war was still going on. Black men who were soldiers at the time were able to turn the tide on that vote. It wasn’t a foregone conclusion that the constitution was going to pass,” said Armenti. “It was a very close vote.”
Although Juneteenth marks a significant turning point in American history, its acknowledgement has been limited in years past— especially outside of Black communities. Cohen attributed this to a dearth of education about the holiday’s history.
“So little of the African-American angle on American history has been taught in our schools. As time’s gone on, it’s clearly been taught more and more, unless you live in a state where there’s a broad assault on both Black history and Black people in general,” said Cohen. “However, I do think Juneteenth has been able to leapfrog from its almost unknown status to being a premier holiday.”
Cohen said Juneteenth is a time for gathering with community, friends and family. He said people celebrate the holiday with reflection, singing Black spirituals, historical reenactments and food. His organization will host a Juneteenth 6K and 12K race to commemorate the holiday this year in Germantown, Md.
The Juneteenth flag is also flown. It features the red, white and blue of the American flag, an arc that represents new horizons, the five-point star of Texas and a bigger star that symbolizes the proliferation of freedom, according to the General Services Administration.
“Juneteenth is an opportunity for communities to be reminded of that long road out of slavery and to envision who they want to be as Americans,” said Cohen. “Celebrating it is a revolutionary act and a message to all the powers that be that we are destined to be one nation. It’s okay to celebrate that as we fight for it at the same time.”
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