According to History, Juneteenth, short for June 19th, commemorates the day that federal troops arrived in Texas to take control of the state and free enslaved people. Many believe the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people. However, the signing had not stopped Texas’ slavery. Slavery in Texas continued because the state had not experienced a presence of Union troops or large-scale fighting. Viewed as a ‘safe haven’ for enslavers, many plantation owners moved there to keep their lifestyle.
Additionally, troops came two and a half years after, when U.S. General Gordon Granger read General Orders No. 3: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” However, according to PBS, this statement made by General Granger did not immediately free all those enslaved. On plantations, enslavers waited to decide how they would announce the news or wait for a governmental agent to arrive. Some enslavers still kept the enslaved people captive for longer after the statement by General Granger.
The following year, after freeing enslaved people, the first celebration of “Jubilee Day”-- more commonly known as Juneteenth-- occurred in Texas, according to History. Commemorations included music, barbecues, and prayer services, as well as other activities. As more Black people from Texas moved to other states, Juneteenth spread as a commonly known tradition among Black people. As of 1979, Texas made Juneteenth an official holiday. While today 47 states including North Carolina recognize Juneteenth as a holiday, movements to make the day a national holiday stall in Congress.
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