Sociologist and Playwright Cecilia Nadal writes about the history of the upcoming Juneteenth holiday.
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On June 19 in many cities and towns in Missouri and across the United States we will celebrate Juneteenth Day, a national holiday previously known as Emancipation Day and Jubilee Day. What is the history of this holiday and why is it important to all Americans?
Put succinctly, 250,000 slaves were freed in Texas 2.5 years after President Abraham Lincoln ended slavery in 1863. On June 19, 1865 General Gordon Granger of the Army arrived in Galveston, Texas with 2000 troops to enforce President Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation. Remarkably, once freed, Blacks in Texas chose to channel their hurt and disappointment with the delay in their freedom into celebrations which started almost immediately in churches, public parks and wherever they were allowed to gather.
So began “Juneteenth” which rapidly spread across America. Blacks were reminded to never take for granted the significance of being considered as people rather than as property or chattel. Our celebrations continue to include family and friends having a good time in local parks with picnics or gatherings at church and other locations. Educational programs are provided to educate and motivate all in their continued struggle for equality.
But how and why did this celebration become a national holiday?
Getting to the “heart of the matter” there are some notable reasons for this popular celebration becoming a national focus. First and foremost, the spirit of the Juneteenth celebration from the very beginning in Texas demonstrated a sincere dedication to “moving forward and being welcoming to all regardless of race or class.” Since 1865 diverse citizens across America have been invited to become a part of the Juneteenth celebrations and many understand the unity that comes from sharing in the freedom of all Americans.
The second reason is the compelling dedication and determination of Opal Lee, a native Texan and former teacher whose family house was burned to the ground on Juneteenth when she was just ten years old. The home was burned down in just hours after they moved to Fort Worth by those who didn’t want a Black family in their all white neighborhood. A mob of rioter’s broke windows and set furniture on fire forcing her family to buy another home. Opal and her family had been celebrating Juneteenth for years so the association between this horrific incident and the significance of Juneteenth remained palpable in her heart and soul for the rest of her life.
During 2016 at the age of 89 Opal decided “enough was enough” so she started taking 2-mile walks in cities across the United States urging fellow Americans to recognize the national significance of Juneteenth for all Americans past and present. Soon many began hearing about Opal’s walks and she became known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.” After a brief hiatus in 2019 she reignited her walking campaign during a time when the climate in America was changing due to the unnecessary killing of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
Many more Americans began to understand what Opal already knew from her own tragic experience as a child. The celebration of Juneteenth had both historical and modern day importance in America—to heal and amplify justice for all.
In June 2021 Juneteenth Day became an official federal holiday. President Biden stated, “Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, and a promise of a brighter morning to come. This is a day of profound weight and profound power.”
Before Juneteenth became a federal holiday, States in our country were able to recognize Juneteenth. It is noteworthy that in 1980 Texas was one of the first States to officially recognize Juneteenth Day in the United States and in 2003 the Missouri legislature passed the following statute:
Juneteenth of each year shall be known as is designated as “Emancipation Day” to provide an opportunity for the people of Missouri to reflect upon the United States of America’s passion for freedom as exemplified in the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, and the Emancipation Proclamation, and to reflect upon the significance and particularity of the Emancipation Proclamation and its role in ending slavery in the United States…devote some part of the day to remember as stated in the Declaration of Independence of the United States that all men are created equal.
In May 2024 Opal Lee at the age of 97 was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Biden for her tireless work. Many of those 250,000 slaves and freedmen put their “pain aside” for not being freed 2.5 years earlier in favor of modeling unity and healing. Likewise, Mrs. Opal Lee used the pain from the destruction of her home as a child as a bouncing board for unifying all Americans. We must move forward together and not forget what can happen if we do not cherish freedom.
Today across this country Blacks celebrate freedom from slavery never taking for granted the significance of being considered as people rather than as property or chattel. Their celebrations include family and friends having a good time in local parks with picnics or gatherings at church and other locations. During these celebrations there are continued conversations about freedom and the fight for equality. Educational programs are provided to educate and motivate all in their continued struggle for equality. Many people of other nationalities are invited and do attend Juneteenth events to share in substantive conversations and to celebrate together. To participate in such gatherings, gives us all a portal into the soul of a united America.
Cecilia Nadal, Sociologist and Playwright had the pleasure of contributing a chapter to the recently released University of Missouri Press publication Fighting for a Free Missouri: German Immigrants, African Americans and the Issue of Slavery, Edited by Sydney J. Norton