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Every year, celebrations are held across the country in remembrance of June 19, 1865; the day enslaved African Americans in Galveston were informed that slavery had been officially abolished under the Emancipation Proclamation.
This year marks the 160th anniversary of that very day, the first major step towards equality, but a dark part of the U.S.’ history that will never be forgotten.
As Americans across the country reflect on the history, significance and impact of slavery on the country, here are two local celebrations happening in the Austin County and Colorado County areas to attend and take in the day.
On Saturday, June 21, the Colorado County Black History Scholarship Fund will be hosting their Juneteenth celebration.
The event will be held at Midtown Park in Columbus from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
DJ Kountry will be spinning tunes all throughout the day as attendees get to take in all on offer, including scrumptious food options ranging from brisket to ribs, shaved ice and more.
In San Felipe on the same Saturday, another Juneteenth celebration will be taking place at the San Felipe Festival Grounds, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Organized by De’Karr Bradshaw, the event will feature free food, vendors, bounce houses, entertainment and activities, gift raffles, horseback rides, live music, a DJ and more.
For more information on the event, to donate, or inquire about volunteering, contact (346) 604-9576.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Deriving its name from combining “June” and “nineteenth,” it is celebrated on the anniversary of the order, issued by Major General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, proclaiming freedom for slaves in Texas. Originating in Galveston, Juneteenth has since been observed annually in various parts of the United States, often broadly celebrating African- American culture. The day was first recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law after the efforts of Lula Briggs Galloway, Opal Lee, and others.
Early celebrations date to 1866, at first involving church-centered community gatherings in Texas. They spread across the South and became more commercialized in the 1920s and 1930s, often centering on food festivals. Participants in the Great Migration brought these celebrations to the rest of the country. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, these celebrations were eclipsed by the nonviolent determination to achieve civil rights but grew in popularity again in the 1970s with a focus on African American freedom and African American arts.
Beginning with Texas by proclamation in 1938, and by legislation in 1979, every U.S. state and the District of Columbia has formally recognized the holiday in some way. With its adoption in parts of Mexico, the holiday has become an international holiday. Juneteenth is celebrated by the Mascogos, descendants of Black Seminoles who escaped from slavery in 1852 and settled in Coahuila, Mexico.
Celebratory traditions often include public readings of the Emancipation Proclamation which promised emancipation for all slaves under Confederate control, singing traditional songs such as “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, and the reading of works by noted African American writers, such as Ralph Ellison and Maya Angelou. Juneteenth celebrations may also include rodeos, street fairs, cookouts, family reunions, parties, historical reenactments, and Miss Juneteenth contests. In 2021, Juneteenth became the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983.
