Juneteenth, our newest federal holiday, has a name that confuses people. Before we get into the story behind the quirky name, let’s talk a little about what the holiday means.
The Juneteenth flag is seen waving in the wind during a flag raising ceremony in recognition and celebration of Juneteenth, Thursday, June 15, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber) Used under Creative Commons license
Juneteenth refers to June 19th, 1865, when Union Army Major Gordon Granger and 2,000 troops brought word to some 250,000 people held as slaves in Texas that they had been freed. Freedom had come in steps.
The U.S. Congress adopted the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery on Jan 31, 1865. The Civil War ended on April 9, 1865. It was ratified by the states on Dec. 6, 1865. In some places, slavery’s demise was denied and delayed by people who wanted to keep it going. Granger’s announcement ended the secrecy in Texas and people began to experience freedom, though not all on that day.
The 13th Amendment was ratified later, on Dec. 6, 1965.
Give the uneven implementation in those days of slow and spotty communication, abolition did not happen at a single moment or day. And for some, freedom came earlier through the courts.
Calling the Texas announcement by the vague “Juneteenth” name made sense. Some might have learned about it on the 13th, the 14th, the 15th and so one. It’s sort of like referring to a vague time as “five-ish” or a day around Christmas as “Christmastime.”
Juneteenth has been marked in local celebrations for more than 100 years and became a federal holiday in 2022.
The guide “100 Questions and Answers Abut African Americans” explains Juneteenth, the Black National Anthem, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other facets of the Black experience. There is also an entire guide, “100 Questions and Answers About the Black Church.”
