Juneteenth 2024: How to celebrate
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. Here’s how to prepare for and celebrate the important holiday.
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On June 19 in the United States the abolition of slavery is celebrated. This date commemorates Liberation Day as well as the turbulent path that the nation and its citizens lived on the path to freedom.
Below is a summary of this celebration and its meaning.
What is celebrated on June 19?
On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which declared the liberation of all those living under slavery in the Confederate States of America.
Specifically, this declaration affirmed the freeing of slaves in the 13 southern states that seceded from the Union in anticipation of the Civil War, including South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia , Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. These territories were also known as the Confederacy during this period in US history.
Despite Lincoln’s executive order, slaves in places under Confederate control were not freed and those in Union states did not receive official emancipation. It was not until April 1865, when the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution was passed, that the abolition of slavery was ratified nationally and until June 19 of that year that news reached remote parts of Texas recognizing the emancipation of the slaves irrefutably.
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Why is this celebration called Juneteenth?
Based on the arrival of Union soldiers in Galveston, Texas, the holiday known as Juneteenth was established on June 19, a word that in English combines the name of the month “June” with the significant day “nineteenth.” This date is also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Second Independence Day, among others.
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How is Juneteenth celebrated?
Initially, celebrations related to Juneteenth focused on the state of Texas with annual pilgrimages to the city of Galveston and focused on civil rights for the black or African American community. However, over time recognition of the importance of this date has spread throughout the United States.
President Joe Biden proclaimed Juneteenth Remembrance Day in 2021, calling on all Americans to recognize the emancipation from slavery as an event of utmost importance and establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday.
Despite this declaration at the federal level, the commemoration of this date varies considerably according to local and state governments. According to a Pew Research report, as of June 2023, 28 states and the District of Columbia legally recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday.
Today, this holiday is celebrated through family gatherings and among friends and neighbors as well as through massive events in various parts of the country that include parades, festivals, music and food.
Contact reporter Silvia Solis by email [email protected].
