dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Social Links
  • zedreviews.com
  • citi.io
  • aster.cloud
  • liwaiwai.com
  • guzz.co.uk
  • atinatin.com
0 Likes
0 Followers
0 Subscribers
dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
  • People

What Is Juneteenth And Why Are People Celebrating It?

  • June 19, 2020
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0

What exactly happened on June 19? What is the reason why people are celebrating it?

Juneteenth celebrated in Austin, Texas in 1900 | Austin History Center/Austin Public Library

Juneteenth — a combination of the words “June” and “nineteenth” — marks the earliest U.S. commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S.

What exactly happened on June 19th?

Brief history

Before we even talk about the roots of Juneteenth, it is important to mention another date:  January 1, 1863. This marks the day when President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, ending slavery in the U.S. —at least on paper.

“All persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free,” the Proclamation states.

After the Proclamation, not all of the enslaved people had been truly free. Often mentioned reasons for the delay include the deliberate withholding of the information to maintain the labour force on plantations or to reap one last harvest.

Fast forward, two and a half years later and we arrive on June 19, 1865. This is when the Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas in order to dispatch the General Order Number 3 which begins as follows:

“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 rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”

Eventually, June 19 was coined “Juneteenth” and became a day which the black people can rally behind.

June 19 once again played a significant role when the Poor People’s Campaign took place on this day in 1968 — just a few months after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. who led the planning of the campaign —  to fight for racial equality, to address interracial class issues, and to advocate for economic goals.

Juneteenth today

It was only in 1980 when Juneteenth was first recognised as an official holiday, with Texas being the first to pass the legislation. Right now, 46 states along with the District of Columbia recognise Juneteenth as a state holiday or observance.

Also called Emancipation Day, Juneteenth serves as a celebration of African American freedom and achievement.

Some typical celebrations include parties, parades, cookouts, and preparing red food and drink like strawberry soda as a reminder of the hibiscus and kola nuts brought into the Americas due to the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

In light of the Black Lives Matter protests, companies have also started recognising this commemoration. Twitter recently announced that Juneteenth will be a permanent company holiday to serve as a day for celebration, education, and connection. Companies like Lyft, Glossier, Nike, and others followed Twitter’s footsteps the following days.

A recent controversy surrounding June 19th is President Trump’s announcement that he will restart his campaign rallies on Juneteenth. What makes this reboot so controversial is that it will happen in Tulsa, Oklahoma —the site of the Tulsa Race massacre which unjustly took the lives of around 300 black Americans. Last week, he announced that the rally will be rescheduled on June 20 “out of respect for this Holiday.”

Total
0
Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Share
Related Topics
  • America
  • Black Americans
  • Emancipation Proclamation
  • Juneteenth
  • Slavery
  • USA
dotlah.com

Previous Article
  • Cities

DBS Sows The Seeds For A New Generation Of Citizen Farmers With Singapore’s First Community Farm In A Bank

  • June 19, 2020
View Post
Next Article
  • Lah!
  • Technology

Singapore’s Startups Step Up Innovation Against COVID-19

  • June 21, 2020
View Post
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Featured
  • Features
  • People

Conclave: How A New Pope Is Chosen

  • Dean Marc
  • April 25, 2025
View Post
  • People

PM Wong takes Scoot flight, fellow passengers cheer

  • dotlah.com
  • October 16, 2024
dotlah-pm-lee-lawrence-wong-9656d4cd-1fa4-40ed-905d-e19e639b8476_728802dd
View Post
  • Lah!
  • People
  • Politics

End of Lee Era for Singapore as PM Steps Down

  • dotlah.com
  • May 16, 2024
View Post
  • People
  • Politics

‘A much bigger step forward’: Lawrence Wong on his journey to becoming Singapore’s fourth PM

  • dotlah.com
  • May 15, 2024
DPM Lawrence Wong will be Singapore's fourth prime minister on May 15. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
View Post
  • Lah!
  • People
  • Politics

7 things to know about Singapore’s next prime minister Lawrence Wong

  • dotlah.com
  • May 15, 2024
When asked about his leadership style, DPM Lawrence Wong said he will be open and consultative, but he will not shirk from doing what is necessary for Singapore's future. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
View Post
  • Features
  • Lah!
  • People
  • Politics

‘We are prepared to relook everything’: Lawrence Wong on a changing society and his hopes for S’pore

  • dotlah.com
  • May 15, 2024
View Post
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • People

MIT Launches Working Group On Generative AI And The Work Of The Future

  • majulah
  • March 31, 2024
View Post
  • Cities
  • People
  • Technology

AI vs. elections: 4 essential reads about the threat of high-tech deception in politics

  • dotlah.com
  • March 19, 2024


Trending
  • 1
    • Featured
    A Nescafe Minute. An Ally For Getting Through My Day.
    • May 17, 2024
  • 2
    • Technology
    Singtel’s Dash Partners UOB Asset Management To Offer Mobile Robo-Adviser With Exclusive ESG Option
    • December 22, 2021
  • bits binary 3
    • Cities
    • Technology
    How Cities Take Advantage Of Server Databases In 2020
    • October 27, 2020
  • 4
    • Science
    ​NTU Scientists Transform Ultra-tough Pollen Into Flexible Material
    • March 24, 2020
  • 5
    • Lah!
    • Technology
    Cisco And NUS Launch S$54 Million Corporate Laboratory To Boost Innovation And Research And Accelerate Singapore’s Digital Economy
    • November 7, 2021
  • Learning 6
    • Science
    3 Reasons We Use Graphic Novels To Teach Math And Physics
    • August 21, 2023
  • 7
    • Technology
    Singapore Launches TraceTogether – New App For COVID-19 Contact Tracing
    • March 22, 2020
  • 8
    • Lah!
    NEA To Extend Energy Efficiency Requirements To Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Air-Conditioners
    • April 1, 2020
  • 9
    • Cities
    How To Move To A New City For School
    • April 24, 2020
  • 10
    • Technology
    OCBC Bank Is First To Leverage Singapore Customs’ Electronic Banker’s Guarantee Programme
    • March 4, 2020
  • 11
    • Cities
    • Scapes
    Top Free Things To Do In London
    • August 10, 2020
  • 12
    • Society
    New Advance@NUS Pathway Admits Working Adults Into Full-time Undergraduate Degree Programmes Based On Work Experience
    • March 3, 2020
Trending
  • 1
    The Summer Adventures : Hiking and Nature Walks Essentials
    • June 3, 2025
  • 2
    Trump’s global trade plans are in disarray, after a US court ruling on ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs
    • May 29, 2025
  • 3
    315,000 Singaporeans have used new career and skills planning tool by SkillsFuture Singapore
    • May 23, 2025
  • college-of-cardinals-2025 4
    The Definitive Who’s Who of the 2025 Papal Conclave
    • May 8, 2025
  • conclave-poster-black-smoke 5
    The World Is Revalidating Itself
    • May 7, 2025
  • oracle-ibm 6
    IBM and Oracle Expand Partnership to Advance Agentic AI and Hybrid Cloud
    • May 6, 2025
  • 7
    Conclave: How A New Pope Is Chosen
    • April 25, 2025
  • 8
    Canonical Releases Ubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin
    • April 17, 2025
  • 9
    Mathematicians uncover the logic behind how people walk in crowds
    • April 3, 2025
  • 10
    Tokyo Electron and IBM Renew Collaboration for Advanced Semiconductor Technology
    • April 2, 2025
Social Links
dotlah! dotlah!
  • Cities
  • Technology
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Society
  • Science
  • About
Connecting Dots Across Asia's Tech and Urban Landscape

Input your search keywords and press Enter.