Juneteenth: The True Story Behind America's Newest Federal Holiday
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Juneteenth, June 19, is America's newest federal holiday, celebrating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. But the story of Juneteenth is more complex and more powerful than most people know.
What Happened on June 19, 1865?
On June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that all enslaved people were free. This was the last major Confederate state to receive the news of emancipation.
Why the Delay?
The two-and-a-half-year delay is explained by several factors: the lack of Union troops in Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, the deliberate suppression of the news by slaveholders, and the remoteness of Texas from the main theatres of the Civil War.
Juneteenth Today
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, after decades of campaigning by African American activists. It is now celebrated with festivals, parades, and cultural events across the USA, and is one of the fastest-growing commercial events in the African heritage calendar.
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About the Author
Isaac Prempeh is the founder of Afropop Socks, a British-Ghanaian designer and entrepreneur based in London. He founded Afropop Socks in 2019 to celebrate authentic African cultural heritage through bold wearable design. Afropop Socks is now stocked at the Smithsonian NMAAHC, Tate Modern, V&A Museum, Natural History Museum, Barbican Centre, Selfridges, and MoMA New York.