Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, which came two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

While the Emancipation Proclamation declared all slaves free, it was not implemented throughout the Confederacy. As a result, enslaved people in Confederate states would remain enslaved until years later. Juneteenth marks the day that federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, to enforce the freedom of the last remaining enslaved people, officially marking the end of slavery in the United States.

For many Americans, the Fourth of July is the day that symbolizes freedom and independence. While this date marks our nation’s independence from Great Britain, African Americans living in the United States at this time were not truly free. Frederick Douglass, a nineteenth-century abolitionist, put things into perspective by posing this question: “What to a slave is the Fourth of July?” In his 1852 keynote address, Douglass gives his esteem to the founding fathers, acknowledging their patriotism, bravery, and contributions to their country. However, he also calls to attention the hypocrisy of their claim that “all men are created equal.” If this was true, how could they condone slavery?

“The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me.” - Frederick Douglass.

Even the abolition of slavery in the United States did not bring about an end to the discrimination that African Americans faced. Following the Civil War, southern states enacted policies limiting African Americans' freedoms. The Supreme Court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson that allowed for separate but equal facilities led to decades of racial discrimination, primarily in education.

Juneteenth is a day to not only celebrate the end of slavery but the continued advancements that African Americans have made to achieve true equality. Juneteenth serves as a great opportunity to research the history behind and educate ourselves on the discrimination that African Americans have faced and continue to face today.

Happy Juneteenth, and…

Be Well, Auburn

Sources

https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth

https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/nations-story-what-slave-fourth-july

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/civilrights/reconstructionandrepression.htm