Juneteenth is Black Independence Day. On this day in 1865, Black Union soldiers defeated Southern troops at the battle of Palmetto Ranch in Texas, effectively freeing all slaves and ending the Civil War. Texas was the last state to bring back into the United States of America.
Over 200,000 Black soldiers were promised that if they fought for the Union, they would effectively be putting into action what the Emancipation Proclamation guaranteed. In a sense, they were liberating themselves and their brethren.
As declared by Major General Gordon Granger:
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…
Check out the audio slideshow over at NPR that gives true significance to what Juneteenth is, narrated by Hari Jones, a historian at the African-American Civil War Museum.
Happy Juneteenth!
Latonya
Thanks for the history lesson.
June 24, 2008 at 8:24 am
JuneteenthDOC
We honor our ancestors, Americans of African descent, who heard the news of freedom on the “19th of Juneâ€Â, 1865, and celebrated in the streets of Galveston, Texas. “None are free, until all are free!†Juneteenth is the celebration of the end of slavery in America that we have embraced as African-Americans.
Juneteenth is America’s 2nd Independence Day celebration. 29 states recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday or state holiday observance, as well as the District of Columbia and the Congress of the United States.
Together we will see Juneteenth become a national holiday in America!
“DOCâ€Â
Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D.
Chairman
National Juneteenth Holiday Campaign
National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF)
National Juneteenth Christian Leadership Council (NJCLC)
http://www.Juneteenth.us
http://www.19thofJune.com
http://www.njclc.com
http://www.JuneteenthJazz.com
October 11, 2008 at 9:03 pm