Speakers at the Township of Lyons Juneteenth event on June 19, pose for a photo (Photo Credit: Molly Price).

By: Emeli Rangel – Staff writer 

Five years ago, Juneteenth became a federal holiday after being signed into law in June 2021 by the Biden administration. The holiday celebrates when freedom was granted to the last African Americans who were enslaved. 

On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, declared all those enslaved in Confederate States legally free at midnight. However, the implementation of the Emancipation Proclamation was limited in areas that were still under strong Confederate control, such as Texas. People who were enslaved in these states remained in involuntary servitude for longer than those in other parts of the country.

On January 1, 1863, a Watch Night service took place. African Americans gathered in churches and private homes, anticipating the news of the Emancipation Proclamation taking effect. At the same time, Union soldiers, who were mainly African American, marched onto plantations across Southern cities, reading small copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and spreading the news throughout the Confederate States.

Freedom for those enslaved in Texas was not officially announced until June 19, 1865, by Union troops in Galveston Bay, hence “Juneteenth”.

Later, in 1865, the 13th Amendment was ratified, ending slavery nationally, stating that slavery, or involuntary servitude, may only be permitted as a punishment for a crime. 

Though slavery was abolished over 100 years ago, Juneteenth took 161 years to be recognized on the federal level. According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, many people advocated for the establishment of Juneteenth as a national holiday. 

The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, Rev. Ronald V. Myers Sr., and 96-year-old community leader Opal Lee worked together to advance this cause. In 2016, Lee organized an annual 2.5-mile walk to represent the 2.5 years Texans remained enslaved. This walk raised Juneteenth awareness nationwide. However, even after her efforts, Juneteenth was still unrecognized as a federal holiday.

It wasn’t until the Black Lives Matter movement reached the federal level that Juneteenth became more recognized. The BLM social movement reached its height in 2020, after the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other African Americans sparked the nation’s awareness of African Americans’ struggles. 

Lee held her annual walk and received a total of over 1.5 million signatures on her petition to make Juneteenth a national holiday. The following year, President Joe Biden signed an act passed by Congress to officially designate June 19 as a federal holiday.

Across the country, Juneteenth is celebrated in cities with large Black populations through a series of elaborate parades and other events. Major colors of these parades are red, black, and green, as well as the colors of the American flag. 

At these parades, speeches are presented by activists in the community. These speeches honor the resilience of African Americans, while bringing recognition to the historic day.

For dinner time, special foods with a red color are consumed. Typically, these foods include barbecue, watermelon and red soda water. The strong use of red in these ceremonies was a common practice that enslaved West Africans brought to the United States.

Although Juneteenth has been a federal holiday for 5 years, these traditions have been happening since the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth celebrations will continue and will always be a reminder of the hardships enslaved African Americans went through.