Juneteenth is a day to honor, reflect on and celebrate the end of slavery in the United States. It was first recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, and the OhioHealth WE D.R.E.A.M. business resource group (BRG) gathered some helpful information and ways to commemorate it.
The WE D.R.E.A.M. BRG is an OhioHealth system-sponsored, associate-led group to support our African American associates.
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is a federal holiday commemorating the anniversary of the arrival of troops to deliver the announcement of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the state of Texas.
On June 19, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863.
Known as General Order No. 3, the order read by Union Major-General Gordon Granger stated …”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.”
The formerly enslaved people celebrated after the announcement was read. A year later, Juneteenth celebrations began, as freed members of the African American community gathered to mark the anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States.
Whether you call it Juneteenth, Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, America’s second Independence Day or the Black Independence Day, June 19 is a day of celebration & reflection.
Ten Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth
Looking for ways to celebrate Juneteenth? Here are some ideas we came up with.
- Educate yourself and your loved ones on the rich history of Juneteenth.
- Volunteer at local organizations focused on impacting Black communities.
- Support Black-owned businesses.
- Attend a local Juneteenth celebration. Ohio hosts their own Juneteenth Festival each year.
- Host a cookout, special meal or game night with family and friends.
- Show your pride! Display Juneteenth yard signs.
- Take time to reflect on the significance and impact of Juneteenth in your life today.
- Send a card or thank you note to acknowledge those who have supported your achievements.
- Make your own Juneteenth flag!
- Take a virtual tour of the National Museum of African American History & Culture.
Things to Watch:
Films
- “Civil War (Or, Who Do We Think We Are)” (2021)
- “Miss Juneteenth” (2020)
- “Sidney” (2022)
- “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America: Limited Series” (2021)
- “Slavery by Another Name” (2012)
- “13th” (2016)
- “Tongues Untied” (1989)
- “Free Angela and All Political Prisoners” (2012)
- “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” (1974)
Short Videos
- “Juneteenth: Freedom and the Fine Print”
- “History of Juneteenth”
- “Grandmother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee, Shares the Importance of this Historic Holiday | Southern Icons”
- “Juneteenth – A Short Film”
Things to Read:
Books
- Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon
- Four Hundred Souls by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain
- Shoutin’ in the Fire by Danté Stewart
- A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib
- The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
- The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
- Stony the Road by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Facts About Juneteenth
- At the age of 89, Opal Lee, also known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” planned a 1,400-mile walk from her home in Fort Worth, TX, to Washington, DC.
- On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a national holiday.
- The Juneteenth flag was created in 1997 and first flown in 2000.
- The Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved African Americans in the Confederate States; the abolishment of slavery in the United States was established through the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment.
“What I love about Juneteenth is that even in that extended wait, we still find something to celebrate. Even though the story has never been tidy, and Black folks have had to march and fight for every inch of our freedom, our story is nonetheless one of progress.” — Michelle Obama
