“Juneteenth has never been a celebration of victory or an acceptance of the way things are. It’s a celebration of progress. It’s an affirmation that despite the most painful parts of our history, change is possible, and there is still so much work to do.””

President Barack Obama

PEAK TO PEAK - “Juneteenth has never been a celebration of victory or an acceptance of the way things are. It’s a celebration of progress. It’s an affirmation that despite the most painful parts of our history, change is possible, and there is still so much work to do.” - President Barack Obama

The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. This had an impact on the Civil War and its character, but it did not instantly free those in bondage. Freedom for slaves depended on a Union victory. 

On April 6, 1865, General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Court House. Even when the ink dried on the document, not all slaves walked out of the fields and the houses where they had toiled. The slave states and many slave owners resisted anyone who told them that their lives would have to change.

Emancipation for the enslaved was a staggered process as troops worked their way along Southern back roads to plantations, towns, and cities. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, with his troops.

In Galveston Granger announced “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” - General Orders, No. 3 (www.galvestonhistory.org).

The former enslaved in Galveston started celebrating June 19 as a very special day in their lives. As they moved elsewhere in the country and the word spread, the celebration became more widespread. The day became known as Juneteenth. It became a day to remember and reflect on the narrative of the African American struggle. 

Representative John Lewis reminded us that “Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part.”

On Juneteenth, parades are held, speeches are given, families get together, and the past is remembered. Remembering those who have endured is an important part of the celebration. Another part of Juneteenth is looking at what still must be done, and what progress has been made. And where does work still need to be done for equality?

Opal Lee, the Fort Worth matriarch who pushed for the recognition of Juneteenth as a federal holiday, reminds us that “If people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love. But we need to know you can’t erase history. So, let’s learn from it and be damned sure it doesn’t happen again.”