Photo By Marcus Bullock | The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Abraham Lincoln Sept. 22, 1862, with an...... read more read more
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Land of the free is one of the founding principles of the United States. When the Declaration of Independence was signed July 4, 1776, Americans rejoiced at the document liberating them from tyranny.
Despite being such a meaningful day to millions of Americans, another day holds itself in a different degree than Independence Day. June 19, or Juneteenth, helps the descendants of former slaves celebrate a day when enslaved Americans were liberated from the rebellious states of the Confederacy. I myself wasn’t truly aware of the magnitude and importance of Juneteenth until my sophomore year of college simply due to the fact it was not taught in grade school.
Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation but it took over two years for news of the liberation to reach every enslaved person in the United States. June 19, 1865, 250,000 slaves were liberated in Texas as the Union army took control over the state.
On Juneteenth, African-Americans celebrate a day honoring those who endured hardships that many of us can’t even imagine. African-Americans fought in the American Revolution only to be enslaved after the promise of freedom and equality was denied to them. The Tuskegee Airmen who fought in World War II came home to a segregated nation and harsh Jim Crow laws. Through this all, they persevered through cruelties inflicted upon an entire race for no other reason but their skin color. Through this all, African-Americans have survived.
“This day should be commemorated with nothing but jubilee and remembrance,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Latetia Bland, 633rd Air Base Wing Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Coordinator deputy. “We should remember the resilience of generations of our ancestors who endured the horrors of chattel slavery, fight that many held for freedom and those pioneers that paved the way for us to pick up and follow today.”
Traditionally, celebrations included what was referred to as the “scatter,” where former slaves went out and searched for displaced family members. Once reunited, they would discard their slave rags in rivers and put on clothing similar to their former masters’. In their new dress, they would eat and dance as free people.
The narrative is changing as more and more people are being educated on the importance of this day. In fact, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam introduced legislation to make Juneteenth a holiday in the commonwealth.
Hampton Roads has extensive history with regards to Juneteenth. Escaped slaves would flee to Fort Monroe to find safe haven during the Civil War. Hampton University’s Emancipation Oak was even the site of the first public reading in the South of the Emancipation Proclamation.
According to the Hampton City Council, June 19 is being designated as a holiday so that everyone can collectively commemorate the importance of the area’s history.
Juneteenth is a day for celebration and education. Take some time and reflect upon those who struggled in obtaining the same rights and protections under the law as their citizen counterparts.
Visit www.juneteenth.com for more information on Juneteenth history.
| Date Taken: | 06.19.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 06.19.2020 14:39 |
| Story ID: | 372492 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 220 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Juneteenth: Liberation Day for Enslaved People, by Marcus Bullock, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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