JUNETEENTH - FREEDOM DAY - JUBILEE DAY - EMANCIPATION
DAY - FREEDOM DAY -  BLACK INDEPENDENCE DAY

Juneteenth National Independence Day
Sunday, June 19, 2022

Thank you very much for visiting the Democrats Abroad Global Black Caucus Black Juneteenth 2022 Resources and Events page. 

We are furthermore focusing on sharing rich knowledge during the 2022 GBC advocacy strategy of Recognizing And Celebrating Small Victories 4 The Big Win. 

We've put together lists of activities/events, books, films, and other information we hope you find interesting, inspiring, helpful, and educational. 

The resources on this page are intended to help you learn more about Juneteenth, and the Global Black Caucus issues and help to spread the knowledge. 

The Juneteenth 2022 Resources page will be updated regularly. 

Where links are provided, these are only suggested sources. Please use the sources you are most comfortable with. 

And yes we invite you to share the knowledge you gather here with your family and friends, brothers and sisters, allies, or even the stranger sitting next to you on a bench….

If you have any questions or ideas that you would like us to include, please contact us at: [email protected] or [email protected] 

JUNETEENTH - Here’s the meaning behind the newest federal holiday. 

One year ago, President Joe Biden signed into law a measure establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day - commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. 

It’s the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created in 1983.

According to Juneteenth.com, it is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States.

History

June 19, 1865, marks the date that Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, TX, and announced the end of both the Civil War and slavery. His announcement, General Order Number 3, reads 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 personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them, becomes that between employer and hired labor. The Freedmen are advised to remain at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts, and they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.

The 1865 date is largely symbolic. The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln, had legally freed slaves in Texas on January 1, 1863, almost 21⁄2 years earlier. Even after the general order, some slave masters withheld the information from their enslaved people, holding them enslaved through one more harvest season.

Texans celebrated Juneteenth beginning in 1866 with community-centric events, such as parades, cookouts, prayer gatherings, historical and cultural readings, and musical performances. Over time, communities have developed their own traditions. Some communities purchased land for Juneteenth celebrations, such as Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas. As families emigrated from Texas to other parts of the United States, they carried Juneteenth celebrations with them.

On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth officially became a Texas state holiday. Al Edwards, a freshman state representative, put forward the bill, H.B. 1016, making Texas the first state to grant this emancipation celebration. Since then, 49 other states and the District of Columbia have also commemorated or recognized the day.

Juneteenth officially became the 11th federal holiday on June 17, 2021,1, and Juneteenth National Independence Day is the first holiday to be added to the list of federal holidays since the recognition of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday in 1983.

Celebrating Juneteenth celebrates the resilience of enslaved people, it allows us to reflect on the fragility of freedom, and provides a moment for us to reflect deeply on our shared history and values. Many municipalities will mark the holiday by raising the Juneteenth flag, which in and of itself is rife with symbolism. 

The first flag that represented the holiday was created in 1997 by Ben Haith, the founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (NJCF), and represents many facets of freedom for Black Americans

Here is a look at the meaning behind the flag: 

The Burst

The bursting outline around the star is inspired by a nova - a new star, representing a new beginning for the newly freed enslaved people.

The Star

The white star in the center of the flag has a dual meaning, Haith said. It represents both Texas, the Lone Star State, but also the freedom of all Black Americans in all 50 states. 

The Arc

The curving arc across the width of the flag represents a new horizon: the opportunities and promises that lay ahead for Black Americans. 

The Colors

The red, white, and blue represent the American flag, a reminder that enslaved people and their descendants were and are Americans. 

This Juneteenth, we encourage you to take a moment to learn more about historical events with significance to the black community, including the Tulsa Race Massacre, Watch Night,and other significant moments in Black history. 

Juneteenth is also a wonderful time to support Black owned businesses, read books and movies about the Black experience, and donate to causes and organizations that focus on supporting the Black Community.