Remember and Celebrate Juneteenth

You probably know the story behind the fourth of July, but did you know that’s not the only independence day celebrated in the U.S.? Here’s more on Juneteeth, a holiday celebrating and honoring the independence of African-Americans from slavery in the 1860s. 

Fast Facts About Juneteenth

• While the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 was supposed to free “all persons held as slaves” in the U.S. that didn’t happen right away
• Two and a half years later, on June 19, 1865, 2,000 Union soldiers visited Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and make sure slaves were freed
• In Texas, General Gordon Granger delivered General Orders Number 3, stating “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free”
• That day signified freedom for the 250,000 of Texas’s slaves, and celebrations began among the newly freed
• Months later, slavery was formally abolished with the ratification of the 13th Amendment in Dec. 1865
• The next year, “Jubillee Day” was celebrated on June 19 by the newly freed men and women
• Over time, the holiday has had different names including Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth National Freedom Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black Independence Day
• Some of the first Juneteenth celebrations were held at churches since African-Americans were banned from using public facilities to celebrate
• Early celebrations included cookouts, dressing up, prayers, dances, and parades. Some would even make a pilgrimage to Galveston, Texas where Juneteenth first started
• Juneteeth is considered the longest-running African American U.S. holiday
• In 1980, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official U.S. holiday
• More states followed in the years since, and on June 15, the Senate passed a bill establishing Juneteenth as a national U.S. holiday. It now awaits a signature by President Biden. 
• In May, Gov. Jay Inslee signed off on House Bill 1016, making Juneteeth a paid day off for state employees. 

Check here to find a Juneteenth celebration near you.