Every year on June 19th or Juneteenth 36 states in America commemorate one of the most important events in the American history: the announcement of the abolition of slavery. The announcement was made in 1865 in the US State of Texas. At the same time Juneteenth honors African American heritage.
Although Abraham Lincoln has issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862 and it has become effective on January 1st 1863, the everyday lives of the mainly African American slaves was not affected in any way. One of the states vehemently opposing the abolition of slavery was Texas, especially in the Western part of the state slavery was prevalent. Slavery was not common in the Eastern part of the state inhabited by German-Americans that were opposed to the practice of slavery.
The Texan practice of slavery was ended by Union General Gordon Granger and his 2000 men who have arrived in Galveston on June 18th. They came to take possession of the state and enforce President Lincolns orders to free every slave everywhere. According to the legend, General Granger read the contents of General Order number 3 that declared the following:
The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.
Juneteenth is celebrated since the year following the above declaration in Galveston. Since then, in the memory of abolishing slavery in America, the Emancipation Proclamation is being read in public, traditional songs are being sung in the streets and poems by African American authors, such as Maya Angelou, are read but people dont forget about the parades, rodeos, street fairs and dancing contest that express their happiness about getting rid of the most inhumane practice in America.
Right now only 36 of the 50 American states commemorate Juneteenth, but it could soon become a national holiday.
Posted By: Siebra Muhammad
Saturday, June 19th 2010 at 3:53PM
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