I remember my first Juneteenth: I had no idea what it was, but people seemed to be having fun, so I joined in.
In 1986, I had never heard of Juneteenth. I was living in Galveston, Texas, the birthplace of this historic holiday. The celebrations were low-key, with food stalls lining the streets, people wearing colorful clothing, and live music.
It has grown to include parades, festivals, and other activities, with Galveston serving as the founding city of Juneteenth.
The day commemorates a statement made by Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger upon his arrival in Galveston on June 19, 1865. He read General Order No. 3, informing the slaves that they were now free.
“The people of Texas are informed that, by proclamation of the President of the United States, all slaves are free; this means an absolute equality of rights and of property between former masters and slaves; and the relationship which has heretofore existed between them becomes that of employer and hired labor.”
The Civil War officially ended in April, but not everyone received the news or was willing to accept the outcome. On May 12 and 13, 1865, a battle took place at Palmito Ranch, Texas. Curiously, the Confederates won a skirmish between Confederate and Union forces.
Texas had an estimated 250,000 slaves in 1865, but they were not informed that they had been freed by President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Because the slaves were needed for field work and other chores, they were not informed of this until after General Lee’s surrender to General Grant.
When federal troops arrived in Galveston, word spread that slavery had ended, and as you can imagine, there was a huge celebration.
Juneteenth is also known as Freedom Day, Emancipation Day and Jubilee Day. Naturally, it’s a big party.
Through the efforts of state representative Al Edwards, Texas became the first state to declare Juneteenth a special anniversary in 1980 and make it a state holiday.
Edwards, a Democrat from Houston, spent 30 years in the Texas Legislature. He was known as “Mr. Juneteenth” but also had many other accomplishments, including serving as chairman of the Rules and Resolutions Committee, the Ways and Means Budget and Oversight Committee, and a member of the Appropriations Committee.
But Edwards, who died in 2020, understood the importance of history and symbolism. He knew African Americans needed their own holiday that they could claim with pride.
That’s why I discovered an explosion of energy and creativity in Galveston on June 19, 1986. Living in Galveston from 1985 to 1987 was an eye-opening experience for me, a white person from a predominantly white rural state. It was a multi-ethnic community with large black and Hispanic populations.
I worked, partied, and played softball with the people of Galveston and learned to appreciate their laid back, happy outlook on life. For two years, I was one of the few white players on the La Familia softball team, and I was made to feel like part of the family. I could hit, I played a decent outfield, and I could drink beers after the games, so I fit in quickly.
In the 1980s, black, white, and Hispanic residents mixed easily. I remember days on the beach followed by long, hot nights with cold drinks, loud music, and smiling people. Galveston is a resort town, and people there have a good time.
The food is great too, with fresh seafood from the Gulf, barbecue, and po’boy sandwiches. Just thinking about it makes me hungry.
Many Galveston natives call themselves BOI (Born on the Island). They are proud of their city and their island, and they told me the history of their city, from when it was known as the Wall Street of the South, to the devastating hurricane of 1900, to the era of gambling, prostitution and fraud. The ZZ Top song “Balinese” tells the story well:
It was the hideout of pirate Jean Lafitte and the birthplace of boxing great Jack Johnson. There are many historic homes and fascinating sights. I last visited in 2005, but would love to return for Juneteenth.
In 2020, Gov. Kristi Noem proclaimed June 19 as Juneteenth Day in South Dakota, making it a state holiday in 2022. This is a long-awaited milestone.
“South Dakota prides itself on freedom,” Noem said in 2020. “We commemorate this important day to remember that there were times in our history when not all Americans were free, and to celebrate a significant milestone toward realizing the American ideal that ‘all men are created equal.'”
South Dakota was the last state to make this a national holiday, with North Dakota and, oddly, Hawaii joining the others soon after. It’s unfortunate that it took so long, but it’s good to celebrate this important day in our shared history.
South Dakota remains a majority-white state, but as a report from South Dakota Public Broadcasting reveals, it is becoming more diverse.
South Dakota’s Black population grew from 1.8% in 2010 to 3% in 2020.
The Native American population increased from 10.1% to 11.1%.
The Asian population increased from 1.3% to 2.1%.
In 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a national holiday (the signing ceremony is pictured above in a public domain image from Wikimedia Commons). It was the first new national holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was declared in 1983 after 15 years of opposition from white conservatives. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill with great reluctance.
But what do these two holidays have in common? And why have Republicans opposed them for so long? Soon after taking office, Biden made Juneteenth a national holiday.
Biden hosted a Juneteenth celebration at the White House on January 10 with Vice President Kamala Harris and spoke about his decision to officially include the day on the American calendar.
“But it wasn’t just a symbolic act. It was a statement of fact, a statement of faith,” he said. “It was a testament to the resilience of generations of Black Americans who kept their eyes on the nation’s North Star, which was the idea that we are all created equal in the image of God and that we deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives.”
“We have never fulfilled that obligation, but we have never entirely abandoned it. We owe it to you and generations before you who led the march from slavery to freedom, who aspired to more than a perfect Union,” Biden said. “But let me be clear: old ghosts in new clothes are trying to bring us back – they are here – to take away our freedoms, to make it harder for Black people to vote and for their vote to be counted, to close the doors of opportunity, to attack the values of diversity, equity and inclusion, and, incredibly, to ban books about the Black experience in America, to erase and rewrite history.
“Our history is not just the past. It’s the present and the future. And it’s about making sure that future is not just the future of some, but the future of all of us,” he said. “Followers, Black history is American history, and that’s why Kamala and I and our administration will always elevate and protect it.”
So, certainly, this is a monumental day and one worth noting and celebrating. Happy Juneteenth.
Tom Lawrence, a fourth-generation South Dakotan, has written for several newspapers and websites in South Dakota and other states, and has contributed to outlets such as The New York Times, NPR, The London Telegraph and The Daily Beast. Reprinted with permission.
