CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, is a holiday that holds deep historical significance in the United States.
It commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans and symbolizes the ongoing fight for freedom and equality.
Le’Trice Donaldson is a professor of History at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi. She said that Juneteenth started with an order to release slaves.
“General order number three issued, which essentially put an end to slavery all together,” Donaldson said.
On June 19, 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation, General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and issued general order number three, and all enslaved African Americans were now free.
This marked a pivotal moment in the struggle for liberation and the end of slavery in the United States.
“July 4th, 1776, there were still millions of American still in bondage, and not free, and did not have their independence,” she said.
Juneteenth signifies the delayed realization of freedom for enslaved African Americans in Texas and serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for equality and justice. It is a celebration of resilience, community, and the quest for freedom.
“Decided that it would be best to send a contingency of soldiers to come to Texas and officially issue the order, especially in order to reconstruct and the occupation of Texas to officially make sure that they understand that slavery has ended. You must free these people,” Donaldson said.
Juneteenth quickly became an occasion for African Americans to gather, reflect, and honor their ancestors who endured the hardships of slavery. Now it’s a day of remembrance, jubilation, and unity within the black community.
“Juneteenth becomes incredibly important as time goes on to areas in particular that had large black populations, so It was far more prevalent in southern states than it was in western or mid-western states,” she said.
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