AKIRA

As of June 17, 2021, Juneteenth officially became a federal holiday, the first since 1983 and the 11th in total. President Joe Biden signed the bill two days shy of the official holiday with VP Kamala Harris at his side. The VP gave remarks crediting 94-year-old Opal Lee who has been a lifelong advocate for this holiday. However, what is Juneteenth and what does it symbolize?

Most people assume that the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves. Technically, that was true as it reads below.

“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

In school, Americans are taught the 13th amendment is what ended slavery, but that’s only with the exception of using slavery as a crime. During this period, lawmakers created absurd laws to keep slaves under control. This manipulation allowed them to own their slaves without actually committing a crime, hence why slaves weren’t freed until two years later. In addition to being accused of petty crimes, slaves could not read and write therefore were not aware of their freedom. At least until people like Union leader Gordon Granger came along. He was the Army general who informed the last 250,000 slaves in Galveston,Texas that they were liberated. On that day in 1865, two years after the 13th amendment, the last enslaved people were freed. It makes perfect sense that Texas would be the first state to acknowledge Juneteenth as a national holiday in 1980.

For many years, people didn’t acknowledge this fact and it was unknown until more historians and advocates spoke out. Now with the rise of social media, people are more outspoken and show how they’ve been and will continue to celebrate this holiday. This commemoration is not only an important day in history, but a step into the right direction to acknowledge the atrocities that America has put black people through. Black Lives still matter and still need help with police brutality and institutional racism, this day does not negate that. Stay informed and stay empowered!