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- Juneteenth: The Whole Explanation<\/a>\n
- \n
- What Is Juneteenth Day? What Does It Mean?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Why Is It Called Juneteenth?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Flag and Colors<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- History of Juneteenth: All You Need To Know<\/a><\/li>\n
- Why Is Juneteenth Important?<\/a><\/li>\n
- When Is Juneteenth 2022? How To Celebrate Juneteenth?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Frequently Asked Questions<\/a>\n
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- When Did Juneteenth Become a Federal Holiday?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Is It a National Holiday?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Which States Consider Teaching About Juneteenth Illegal And Why?<\/a><\/li>\n
- What Will Be Closed On Juneteenth?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Which Senators Voted Against Juneteenth?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Do You Say Happy Juneteenth?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Is Juneteenth a Paid Holiday?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Juneteenth: The Whole Explanation<\/h2>\n
![\"history](\"https:\/\/cdn-blog.findmykids.org\/2022\/06\/shutterstock_721549057.jpg\")
Svitlana Bezuhlova\/Shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n
What Is Juneteenth Day? What Does It Mean?<\/h3>\n
Juneteenth is an annual holiday that commemorates the abolition of slavery in the United States. While it has only gained popularity and renewed attention recently, it has deeper roots. The day has been observed by African-Americans in various parts of the United States every June 19 since the late 1800s.<\/p>\n
Why Is It Called Juneteenth?<\/h3>\n
The name of the holiday was created by combining the words “June” and “19.” This is the date and month when the Emancipation Proclamation came into effect. It\u2019s also referred to as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Juneteenth Independence Day.<\/p>\n
Flag and Colors<\/h3>\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/cdn-blog.findmykids.org\/2022\/06\/Snimok-yekrana-2022-06-06-180051.jpg\")
AlliesTroop\/Shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n
The design of the Juneteenth flag is meant to provide a visual representation of the slogan: “a new freedom, a new people, a new star.”<\/p>\n
It’s the same colors as the American flag: red, white, and blue. This is meant to demonstrate that formerly enslaved African-Americans as well as their descendants are also Americans.<\/p>\n
The Juneteenth flag has a star in the middle, which signifies new freedom and the end of slavery in the US. The curved color separation embodies new horizons and opportunities for African-Americans.<\/p>\n
History of Juneteenth: All You Need To Know<\/h2>\n
A Commendable Start<\/h3>\n
On January 1, 1863, otherwise known as \u201cFreedom\u2019s Eve\u201d, enslaved and free Americans gathered in churches and private houses to pray for a miracle. Their prayers were answered at the stroke of midnight when the Emancipation Proclamation took effect.<\/p>\n
Announced during the American Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation declared all enslaved people in the Confederate States legally free. It was an expected development after the election of anti-slavery President Abraham Lincoln.<\/p>\n
To celebrate their historical freedom, Union soldiers, most of whom were black, marched from plantation to plantation and across southern cities, reading copies of the proclamation and spreading the good news.<\/p>\n
Unwelcome Technicalities<\/h3>\n
While the Emancipation Proclamation left an indelible mark, it could not be enforced in Southern states like Delaware and Missouri, where slavery was still legal. It\u2019s one of the reasons why enslaved people in Texas, the westernmost Confederate state, didn\u2019t get their freedom until much later.<\/p>\n
The proclamation met with resistance, particularly in the South, where wealthy landowners tried to overturn Lincoln\u2019s anti-slavery efforts.<\/p>\n
Seceded states were strongly urged to rejoin the Union before January 1st. As a reward, they would be allowed to keep their slaves and enjoy the fruits of forced labor. However, if these states did not return to the Union, all their slaves would be declared legally free.<\/p>\n
Citizens in the Confederate states did not accept Lincoln as their president, which is why slave owners weren\u2019t compelled to free their slaves. The enslaved people in these areas were eventually freed, either through self-liberation or through the intervention of Union forces.<\/p>\n
Gaining Momentum<\/h3>\n
![\"federal](\"https:\/\/cdn-blog.findmykids.org\/2022\/06\/shutterstock_450008257.jpg\")
vasara\/Shutterstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n
News of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas slowly. This may have been due to the state\u2019s unreliable postal service, but was more likely due to messengers and Union soldiers being forcibly prevented from spreading the word.<\/p>\n
Whatever the case, landowners resisted because they prioritized convenience and economics over the lives of those they had enslaved.<\/p>\n
On June 19, 1865, Gordon Granger, a Union General, arrived in Galveston, Texas with around 2,000 Union troops. This took place two months after the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Appomattox, Virginia with the message that slavery will no longer be tolerated in the state. He informed enslaved African-Americans that the Civil War had ended and that more than 250,000 enslaved black people were now legally free.<\/p>\n
This day came to be known as Juneteenth. The newly emancipated people celebrated with prayer and religious events, speeches, eating, singing spiritual songs, and dancing, transforming it into one of the most impressive and inspiring grassroots initiatives of all time.<\/p>\n
Ushering In the Thirteenth Amendment<\/a><\/h3>\n
The happy news that came two and a half years after it was issued not only freed slaves in states that recognized Lincoln as president. It also ushered in the Thirteenth Amendment, which read:<\/p>\n
“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”<\/p>\n
This abolished slavery throughout the United States, including states that previously rebelled against the idea. These states would have to abide by the Thirteenth Amendment if they wanted to be reintegrated into the Union. The 13th Amendment, along with the 14th and 15th Amendments, greatly expanded the civil rights of African-Americans.<\/p>\n
Reconstruction<\/h3>\n
The post-emancipation period from 1865 to 1877 was a period of reconstruction, uncertainty, passion, and struggle.<\/p>\n
Formerly enslaved people aspired to be reunited with their family members who had become dispersed across the country as a result of slavery. They also established schools.<\/p>\n
These rapid changes were nothing short of astounding, especially since they were led by a community that had faced challenge after challenge for hundreds of years, with seemingly no end in sight.<\/p>\n
A Bump In the Road<\/h3>\n
- Is It a National Holiday?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Why Is It Called Juneteenth?<\/a><\/li>\n
- What Is Juneteenth Day? What Does It Mean?<\/a><\/li>\n