"It's an opportunity to both look back and to look ahead to make sure that that notion of freedom and the fragility of it is always protected and celebrated."
– Lonnie Bunch | Educator & Historian
Juneteenth is the oldest-known celebration marking the end of slavery in the United States, first recognized by the state of Texas, then spreading throughout the country. It is also known as "Freedom Day," "Juneteenth National Independence Day," or "Emancipation Day."
On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation became official, making slavery illegal in the United States and declaring all enslaved people free: "I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free."
It took two and a half years for the news to reach Texas. On June 19, 1865, news of the Executive Order and, more importantly, the power to enforce it finally reached Texas. The enforcement was necessary. The Emancipation Proclamation itself had little impact on Texans due to the will of the enslavers to continue trading in persons as commodities and the lack of Union troops to prohibit them.
However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865 and the arrival of General Granger's regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to uphold the proclamation's pledge that "the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons." Thus, June 19, 1865, became a powerful symbol of freedom. The rejoicing that day was the beginning of what would become an annual rite of celebration, Juneteenth. The first official Juneteenth celebrations were held on June 19, 1866, in Galveston and Houston, Texas, and quickly spread throughout the West.
News of freedom had reached different cities and states at different times, and Emancipation Day was generally celebrated on the anniversary of the good news. In the Southern Illinois/Paducah, Kentucky area, that day was August 8. Black people in Paducah still set aside each August 8 as a special day, with parades, picnics, and reunions. The earliest known celebration in Illinois occurred in 1882 in Elizabethtown, Hardin County. Brian Jenkins' great-great grandfather, Moses Barker, was one of the key organizers.
Today, Juneteenth celebrates African American resilience and achievement while aiding in the preservation of historical narratives that have advanced racial and personal advancement since Freedom Day.
>>>CLICK HERE to learn more about the history of Juneteenth.
>>>CLICK HERE for information about Juneteenth celebrations around Chicago.