JUNETEENTH

 June 19

by
Lauren Kuntzman
and 
Kathy Petras

Juneteenth Flag
The white star stands for Texas. The curved arc represents a new horizon 
Wiki Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?

June 19th, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, Union General Gordon Granger proclaimed  that "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free." 

From Whitehouse.gov

The "Executive" was Abraham Lincoln who had died April 15, 1865 from an assassin's bullet. The "Proclamation" was the Emancipation Proclamation that had freed all slaves in Confederate Territory on January 1, 1863. 

However, the proclamation was hard to implement in states that were still under Confederate control. Only as Union troops moved into Confederate territory were they able to enforce the proclamation. And even though the Robert E. Lee had surrendered on April 9, 1865, Confederate troops held out in many places for weeks after. As the furthest west Confederate state, Texas was late to come under Union control.

Celebrating Granger's proclamation was immediate in Texas with feasting, song, dance and prayer. One year later, the first "official" Juneteenth took place. "Juneteenth" being a blending of "June" and "nineteenth".

Over decades the celebration spread throughout the country, each community developing its own tradition.

In 1980, Texas made it a state holiday, followed by Florida in 1991, Oklahoma in 1994, and Minnesota in 1996. Other states followed suit. Ohio proclaimed it in 2006. 

States that adopted Juneteenth as a holiday prior to the 2021 Federal recognition.
Red states recognized it before 2000. Yellow States recognized between 2000 and 2009. 
Blue states recognized between 2010 and 2021.
South Dakota (in grey above) did not codify the celebration until 2022.
Wikipedia

 

And in 2021, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed an act making it a National Holiday. 

And on June 19, 2022 Medina will officially celebrate Juneteenth for the first time.

And following the traditions from the first Juneteenth, the day will start with a church service, followed by speakers, including Danita Harris from WEWS, vendor tables, food trucks featuring soul food and traditional Southern cooking, African drummers and the Mojuba! Dance Collective from Cleveland.

Join your neighbors and friends in celebrating this landmark day!

In honor of Juneteenth, here are 5 resources to help you research African American ancestry: 

1. African American Heritage
Search historical records specific to African Americans to trace your genealogy or to do research. Visit https://mcdl.info/OnlineLearning and access with your library card.

2. Ancestry - Freedmen's Bureau Records
Search 3.5 million records from 1846-1874 to learn about previously enslaved people moving from slavery to citizenship and freedom. Free access to Ancestry at MCDL branches.

3. Black Freedom Struggle in the United States
Explore newspaper articles, diaries, correspondence and more, from periods in U.S. history marked by the opposition African Americans have faced on the road to freedom. Access at https://blackfreedom.proquest.com.

4. Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936 to 1938
Explore 2,300 first-person accounts of slavery and 500 black-and-white photographs of former slaves. Access at https://www.loc.gov/collections/slave-narratives-from-the-federal-writers-project-1936-to-1938/about-this-collection.

5. Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery
Search 2,500+ newspaper ads by formerly enslaved people seeking information on loved ones after emancipation. Includes 275 U.S. newspapers, published between 1865 and 1920. Access at https://informationwanted.org.

Sources:

• Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Juneteenth". Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Apr. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Juneteenth. Accessed 9 June 2022.
• Higgins, Molly, "Juneteenth: Fact Sheet", Congressional Research Service, R44865,  https://crsreports.congress.gov  , accessed 9 June 2022. 
• "Juneteenth.com" https://www.juneteenth.com/   accessed 6-9-2022.
• "Presidents: Abraham Lincoln 16th President of the United States",  The White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/abraham-lincoln/  , accessed 9 June 2022.
• Sipos, Lorraine, "Why Juneteenth Matters" Medina Weekly News, 2 June 2022, pp. 1-2
• Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, accessed 9 June 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Juneteenth&oldid=1092090534
• Wikimedia Commons contributors, "Juneteenth Flag", Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository,   https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php? , accessed 9 June 2022.