This weekend was the 9th Annual Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom honoring the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln. It marked freedom from slavery for African Americans.
Locally to honor the occasion there was a one-mile run/walk event, a parade, Community Soldier Awards, a talent show, historical re-enactments, a fishing derby for kids and a gospel extravaganza on Sunday.
I spent a couple of hours at Juneteenth on Sunday. Here's some shots of my time there:
(from On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued his official Emancipation Proclamation, which contrary to popular belief did not immediately free a single slave. The President had no power against the Constitution, and the USA was, and still is, governed by the rule of law. However, the Emancipation Proclamation had two effects. First, it disrupted agricultural economies as slaves fled the plantations, and second, it contributed to the collapse of the Confederate states. Without support from the British and French, the Confederacy collapsed on April 9, 1865 when General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant. The remaining Confederate armies surrendered later in the month. Only five days after the collapse on April 14, President Lincoln was shot and then died the following day.
On June 19, 1865, the Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas announcing the war had ended, and all those enslaved were now free! From that moment in Galveston, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day had spread across the United States and beyond. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
At long last the rule of law was changed. On December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment’s completion of ratification prohibiting slavery to the U.S. Bill of Rights was implemented.
Today, Juneteenth’s national celebrations focus on African American freedom while encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures. In recent years, an increasing number of Juneteenth organizations have risen to take their place alongside older organizations with the mission to promote and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African American history and heritage. As they continue to take on a more national and even global perspective, the events of 1865 in Texas are not only remembered, but celebrated.
SacPress Photos | Kati Garner
On June 19, 1865, the Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas announcing the war had ended, and all those enslaved were now free! From that moment in Galveston, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day had spread across the United States and beyond. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
At long last the rule of law was changed. On December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment’s completion of ratification prohibiting slavery to the U.S. Bill of Rights was implemented.
Today, Juneteenth’s national celebrations focus on African American freedom while encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures. In recent years, an increasing number of Juneteenth organizations have risen to take their place alongside older organizations with the mission to promote and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African American history and heritage. As they continue to take on a more national and even global perspective, the events of 1865 in Texas are not only remembered, but celebrated.
SacPress Photos | Kati Garner