Almost 150 years after the liberation of enslaved people in the USA. Juneteenth has been formally recognized as a national holiday for the second year, know its meaning
Juneteenth also called as Freedom Day or Jubilee Day is an annual commemoration commemorating enslaved people’s freedom in the United States. It is an important day for Black Americans because it commemorates the fight for Black liberation and celebrates African-American culture.
Juneteenth Day 2022 Meaning And Is June 19 A Federal Holiday
THE HISTORY OF THE MONTH OF JUNETEENTH:
The holiday’s name is derived from the date in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas. To assume control of the state and ensure that all enslaved persons were released. Following the American Civil War between the northern and southern states.
The issuing of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation had proclaimed slaves in Confederate areas like Texas free three years before. The 13th Amendment to the American Constitution was passed in April of 1864, thereby prohibiting slavery and involuntary servitude.
Slavery persisted unabated within Confederate-controlled territory, with enslaved persons in Texas only learning of their freedom after the Civil War was over.
Juneteenth is the first African-American festival, having been observed for the first day in 1866 by newly freed African-Americans. The state of Texas was the first to declare Juneteenth a holiday in 1979, however it was only a symbolic gesture. However, the federal government only recently recognized June 19 as a national holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed a measure making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
JUNETEENTH IS CELEBRATED IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:
Juneteenth is a communal festival that is frequently observed by families outside. With food at the forefront of celebrations, as well as parades, street fairs, and voter registration drives. In the late 1800s, the first commemorations focused on assisting newly liberated men. With instructions on how to exercise their right to vote.
Many firms, like Twitter and Nike, made measures to recognize June 19 as a holiday for employees during the global outcry over racist violence against African-Americans in 2020. Decisions that were widely criticized as performative.