Juneteenth = June + 19th.
What is Juneteenth all about?

On Juneteenth we think about that moment in time when the enslaved in Galveston, Texas, received word of their freedom. — Rep. Corinne Brown

To remember...
On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger of the Union Army sailed into Galveston, Texas, on Galveston Island, and proclaimed liberty:

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.

This news wasn't exactly hot off the press, Abraham Lincoln having already issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which abolished slavery in the Confederate States of America, two and a half years earlier, on January 1, 1863. But what was new — for both ex-slaves and ex-slave owners — was having to face freedom and meet its challenges. It's not easy to start a new life, even when it's the life you were meant to live.

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.

Why did it take so long for Emancipation to reach Texas? There are theories, but no certainties:

• The messenger was on a slow mule, or was murdered en route
• Slave owners knew of Emancipation but refused to tell their slaves about it
• Federal troops wished to give slave owners more time with their slaves so they could bring in one more cotton crop

to realize...
Those early freedmen had choices to make and obstacles to surmount. To stay or to go? To forgive or to resent? To look forward or back? How does one move on from a trauma like slavery? How to obtain an education, learn to make a living, participate in society as a free and equal member? The scars persist and the questions remain for later generations.

to recognize...
Juneteenth marked the beginning of a new phase in African-American history, when emancipated slaves along with their former owners began, slowly and haltingly, to travel the long road to equality and integration. Many along the way, on both sides of the racial divide, have questioned the value of one or both of those ideals. Slavery was a defining feature of the early decades of our republic; dealing with its aftermath became the challenge of each generation.

to reflect, to renew...
Even as we acknowledge the evils of slavery and the ravages it wrought upon our society, and pay tribute to those who suffered with no recompense, Juneteenth is also a time to strengthen our bonds of unity and to offer support to one another. This is especially true in the areas of economic opportunity and the opening of institutional and societal doors to guarantee fair and equitable treatment for all.

and to rejoice!
Juneteenth celebrations in Texas and nearby states started soon after the fateful proclamation, but the early ones were low-key, simple affairs held on church grounds or on the outskirts of cities. Emancipation Park in Houston was the first public land purchased specifically for Juneteenth events; other tracts of land, also called Emancipation Park, followed in other cities, as did Booker T. Washington Park in Mexia, Texas. Years went by and attendance at Juneteenth commemorations declined, but the civil rights movement of the 1960s brought about a resurgence of interest (as well as some opposition by younger blacks who felt the day was a reminder of servitude and discrimination). Large gatherings began to be held in such places as Minneapolis and Milwaukee.

Texas named Juneteenth an official state holiday in 1980. Countrywide, Juneteenth activities are sponsored by the Smithsonian and other national and local organizations. It's a day for looking forward and back, appreciating the progress we've made and encouraging further growth, while cultivating respect for all cultures.

Juneteenth celebrations typically include any or all of the following elements:

• Barbecues and picnics featuring pork and beef, sweet potato pie — and don't forget the strawberry soda
• Rodeos, fishing, baseball
• Parades, family gatherings
• Public speeches that focus on self-improvement and education
• Prayer, music, and dance

Juneteenth is a day that stands for the dignity and equality of all citizens, regardless of race, so that all may share the blessings of freedom that America provides. — George W. Bush, presidential message, 2005