“Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galve- ston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and en- sure that all enslaved peo- ple be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the sign- ing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth
honors the end to slavery in the United States and is con- sidered the longest-running African American holiday.” What is Juneteenth? Elizabeth Nix.
https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth
As we pause to celebrate Juneteenth, which many maintain is the longest-running indigenous African American celebration, we need to be clear on what it is and why we celebrate it! We have been lied to about our history in this nation, Africa, and the world. We need to know the truth and see it from our point of view.
Juneteenth is an honest day for celebration for us. Contrary to what we have been told and taught, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation actually freed no enslaved people! It was a disingenuous PR stunt by President Abraham Lincoln, who was an avowed white supremacist at a time when the War Between the States wasn’t going well for the North. Lincoln was in a desperate situation. Ten states had succeeded from the Union. They set up their own government, taking the cotton economy and wealth with them. And, the war was unpopular with many Northern whites who were resisting conscription (being drafted) into the Union Army. Lincoln was faced with a war effort that was not going well and the eminent possibility of Britain and France entering the war on the side of the Confederacy, which would have exacerbated his woes.
On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued an Executive Order called the Emancipation Proclamation that was directed at the enslaved people in the ten Confederate States that had formed a separate sovereign nation establishing its own government with laws, money, and an economy founded on the free labor of our enslaved ancestors. Lincoln, however, viewed the Confederacy as an area of rebellion which was the basis for his Executive Order. But in fact, Lincoln had no authority to pronounce laws on the Confederacy since it was an autonomous entity.
“As Lincoln’s decree applied only to territory outside the realm of his control, the Emancipation Proclamation had a little actual effect on freeing any of the nation’s enslaved people. But its symbolic power was enormous, as it announced freedom for enslaved people as one of the North’s war aims, alongside preserving the Union itself. It also had practical effects: Nations like Britain and France, which had previously considered supporting the Confederacy to expand their power and influence, backed off due to their steadfast opposition to slavery. Black Americans were permitted to serve in the Union Army for the first time, and nearly 200,000 would do so by the end of the war.”
https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil- war/emancipation-proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation did pave the way for Blacks to serve in the Union Army and Navy, which greatly helped the Union war effort. He tied the war with the issue of slavery, but his order did not apply to or free those languishing in brutal bondage in the Union Border States of Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri or Union-controlled Confederate territory!
Lincoln’s determination to aggressively fight the war by continually changing generals plus the infusion of over 200,000 Black soldiers, sailors, and support personnel into the Union forces turned the tide of the war! The Confederacy was unable to sustain the early momentum and psychological advantages it had gained, and its failure to secure foreign military support doomed their efforts. Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses Grant near Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865.
There was sporadic fighting after Lee surrendered in April. The final recorded battle took place in Palmito Ranch in Texas on May 12-13, 1865. When additional Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay Texas on June Nineteenth, 1865 to take control of the state they announced the war was over and slavery was ended. Our enslaved ancestors rejoiced and marked that date as the official end of slavery for them.
For a long time, Juneteenth was only celebrated in Galveston Texas. They called it Emancipation Day. Today we celebrate this date as a national holiday. More and more African-Americans are becoming aware of the significance of Juneteenth and making it a meaningful holiday for us as opposed to, say the Fourth of July.
What are some important takeaways we can glean from Juneteenth? First, within the overall context of the War Between the States, we now know people of African descent aggressively pushed for, and were finally granted an opportunity to fight for their/our freedom. Lincoln’s Executive Order aka The Emancipation Proclamation, allowed Blacks to serve in the military, and we did. Over 200,000 Black soldiers, seaman, and support personnel were essential in the North’s victory!
We shortened June Nineteenth to Juneteenth, which is so like us, so cultural, and so Black! Most importantly, Juneteenth is an opportunity for us to celebrate something that directly impacted/affected us, as opposed to, celebrating other people’s cultural and religious holidays. This year Juneteenth falls on June 19th, so celebrate, enjoy it, and be grateful.
