Why Juneteenth Should Be an Official Federal Holiday
Many of us in the United States have grown up with the idea that the Fourth of July is just about as American as you can get. Cookouts, prideful tunes, fireworks, and that red, white, and blue flag help get us through a patriotic—and federally recognized—day of the year.
But there's another event that deserves our attention (and federal recognition): June 19, 1865—the day all people living in the United States, including the formerly enslaved, were officially granted freedom.
You see, when it comes to July 4th, there's one hard fact to face. The beloved star-spangled holiday marks the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence, which was written by founding father Thomas Jefferson, who at the time owned 180 enslaved people, with one-third of the signees also being slaveholders. The famous document even initially had a passage within it that denounced slavery, but it was removed, in part to please the South which relied heavily on the slave trade.
In summary: A holiday founded on the idea of freedom for all Americans was created by a group of men who either treated Black people as property, or were not yet brave enough to stand-up to the atrocities of slavery. And as former First Lady Michelle Obama reminded us in her powerful 2016 DNC speech, the White House was indeed built by the enslaved, underscoring the racism that went into founding our nation.
Below, we explain why Juneteenth was founded, how you can recognize it, and why it should be a federally recognized holiday, just like the Fourth of July.
What exactly is Juneteenth?
First, a little history. Going into the third year of the Civil War, on January 1, 1863, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that declared all enslaved people in the rebellious Confederate states—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia—were free. But this executive order did not fully abolish slavery in the U.S., as it didn't apply to those held as property in bordering states who were loyal to the Union.
The inaugural day we now know as Juneteenth occurred on June 19, 1865—when Lincoln's proclamation was finally enforced in Galveston, Texas two-and-a-half years later. The state was known to many in the Confederate as a safe space for slaveholders, as it remained largely unoccupied by Union soldiers during the war. PBS reported that after the Emancipation Proclamation, many rebels from neighboring states fled to Texas and brought their (illegal) enslaved people with them. But on June 19, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued an official order in Galveston informing Black people that they were free. This is why we celebrate Juneteenth, because it honors the day in history all Black people in America were both aware of the Emancipation Proclamation and officially legally released from their bonds.
Later that year in December 1865, slavery was formally abolished across the country with the ratification of the 13th amendment. It read:
"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."
Why is it called Juneteenth?
The holiday, also known as Emancipation Day, occurs on June 19. So Juneteenth is a combination of the words "June" and "Nineteenth."
Is it a federally recognized holiday?
The short answer is no. But if we consider recent events, Juneteenth could well be on its way to becoming one. So far, Washington, D.C. and 46 states—not including North Dakota, South Dakota, Hawaii, and Montana—have passed legislation to recognize Juneteenth, though it's still not a paid holiday where all workers are given the day off, like July 4.
However, Texas led the charge in January 1980 when they named Juneteenth a formal state holiday. And most recently, in the wake of global fights for recognition and equality with the Black Lives Matter movement, in June 2020 both Virginia (with the help of Pharrell) and New York declared Emancipation Day an observed state paid holiday. But that still leaves 47 more states to catch up.
Corporations like Target, Nike, Twitter, the NFL, and even Hearst Magazines (which publishes O, The Oprah Magazine) have also declared June 19 a company holiday. And each year Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee introduces a resolution for Juneteenth to be recognized as a federal holiday, with this year's efforts gaining 200 co-sponsors according to Time. Lee told the publication, “Juneteenth legislation is a call for freedom, but it also reinforces the history of African Americans. We’ve fought for this country. We’ve made great strides, but we’re still the victims of sharp disparities. Our neighborhoods reflect that...Because of that, I think this is a time that we may find people who are desirous to understand the history not necessarily only of African Americans, but the history of America.”
If you'd like to help push forward the call for Juneteenth to be made a federal holiday, there's a Change.org petition you can sign here.
Are there Juneteenth colors or a flag?
The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF), founded in 1994, recognizes the same colors found in the American flag: red, white, and blue. They also created an official flag for the holiday in 1997, which features a red and blue stripe, and a prominent white "star of Texas bursting with new freedom throughout the land, over a new horizon," according to the NJOF site.
How can you celebrate or recognize Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is celebrated across the country amongst Black families and friends with street fairs, parades, and concerts. (The most jubilant annual celebrations take place in its Texas birthplace.) Because of the holiday's Southern roots, barbecue is a must, and red foods like strawberry soda and red velvet cake are traditionally served as the color is "a symbol of ingenuity and resilience in bondage," according to The New York Times. NJOF president Steve Williams also encouraged readings of the Emancipation Proclamation in USA Today.
And for anyone who isn't Black but would like to recognize Juneteenth, every year, June 19 is a great day to honor and embrace Black culture through its art and history. You might want to take the opportunity to learn about major firsts from African Americans, read a book, catch a film that honors Black life, or support Black-owned companies. But most importantly, remember that all of those things shouldn't just happen on Juneteenth, but every day. Because it's never a bad time to celebrate the independence of everyone in our country.
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