Two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation and two months after traitor Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered, Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19th and Black men and women who had continued to endure in slavery learned they were free when Gen. Granger read the following order:
"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 rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer."
Celebrations ensued and a tradition was born, growing with popularity over time.
Texas resident Opal Lee has led the fight to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, something Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee has been trying to do in Congress for 20 years. In 2016, Opal Lee walked from her home in Texas all the way to the White House to raise awareness. After years of trying, there now seems to be some movement toward making Juneteenth a holiday. On Friday, 93-year-old Lee again set out on foot to raise awareness, walking 2.5 miles to Will Rogers Coliseum in Ft. Worth with a caravan of cars behind her.
As some have suggested, we could make a clean swap for Columbus Day.
In light of the recent deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks and others, this year’s Juneteenth celebration involved massive protests nationwide in support of Black Lives Matter and in defense of Black lives. Here are some of the images and videos from around the nation. Please feel free to add your own photos and videos in the comments if you participated in a march today.
There was a sizeable turnout in Oakland, where activist Angela Davis spoke to the crowd.
Across the bay, another large crowd gathered outside San Francisco’s City Hall.
Up the coast, Seattle residents were also on the march.
In D.C., the crowd was at times raucous and then profoundly silent.
Protesters at the Martin Luther King, Jr. monument in D.C. took a knee and sat in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the time Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on the neck of George Floyd.
Outside of RFK Stadium in D.C., workers also took down a statue of George Preston Marshall, the former owner of the team with the racist nickname. Marshall refused to sign any Black players until 1962 and only did so when the government "forced his hand."
In Brooklyn, another massive crowd marched through the streets.
Did you attend a Juneteenth protest or celebration? Share your pics or videos below.
Would you like to see Juneteenth become a federal holiday? Sign and send the petition: Congress must make Juneteenth a national holiday.
Finally, click here to support organizations that are fighting for Black lives and racial justice.