When did Juneteenth start? A look back at the history of the holiday
Freedom Walk in Anacostia to celebrate Juneteenth
Juneteenth Celebrations are underway in Anacostia as a Freedom Walk takes place across the 11th Street Bridge.
WASHINGTON - The hard-won freedom of enslaved people and the enduring progress of the African American community will be celebrated across the nation on Juneteenth – the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery.
The backstory:
On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger and his Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, where they received the news that the Civil War had ended and slaves were freed.
The news followed President Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order that advocated for the freedom of slaves and a push for equality.
Granger then issued a command called "General Order Number 3," which enforced the freedom of slaves in the South after the law was put in place by President Lincoln. Then, African Americans were no longer under the control of Confederate authorities.
At that point, freed slaves started celebrating Juneteenth in Galveston, and the celebration has continued around the nation since.
When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday?
Juneteenth has been celebrated for over 150 years. Opal Lee, a 98-year-old activist known as the grandmother of Juneteenth, has upheld the freedom tradition in Texas for a long time. When Lee was 12 years old, a white mob burned her family’s home to the ground on June 19th.
Lee later became a teacher and counselor in Fort Worth, where she also worked with the Tarrant County Black Historical Genealogy Society, a non-profit organization which put together Juneteenth celebrations in the 70s.
In 2016, Lee expanded efforts to an annual walk campaign. The petition drive gathered more than a million signatures to make Juneteenth a national holiday, which she delivered to then-President Barack Obama.
After the recognition of Lee’s efforts and the uproar in response to George Floyd’s murder in 2020, former President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17, 2021, honoring the day of freedom.
How Juneteenth is celebrated
In high respect for the resilience of the African American community, Juneteenth is celebrated with vibrant performances, festivals, museum displays and family gatherings.
This year, events will be hosted at the National Harbor, the Anacostia Community Museum, and more.
Could Trump cancel Juneteenth as a federal holiday?
Under growing concern and pushback on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, President Donald Trump has not spoken or commented about ending Juneteenth as a national holiday.
Trump wouldn't have the power to end Juneteenth's demonitation as a federal holiday, Loyola Marymount University Law School professor Jessica Levinson told the LA Times.
"Federal holidays are created and abolished by Congress," Levinson told the LA Times.