America's Pursuit of Freedom

This past Saturday was the 145th anniversary celebration of Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth is also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day where the abolotion of slavery was announced in Galveston Texas on June 19, 1865.

Even though Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, with an effective date of January 1, 1863, it had minimal effect on most slaves' every day lives. Texas, exemplified this by being resistant to the proclamation. It took 2 years for General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal soldiers to arrive in Galveston, Texas to take possession of the state and enforce the emancipation of its slaves. On June 19, 1865 General Granger read the contents of General Order No. 3:

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 personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.

That day has since been known and celebrated as Juneteenth. Today Juneteenth commemorates American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a time for reflection through celebrations, guest speakers, picnics, and family gatherings. Juneteenth is recognized in cities across the country by people of all backgrounds and nationalities to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today.

Here are some Juneteenth celebrations.
Ohio, Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia

Juneteenth is another day marking America's continual pursuit of freedom and indepence for those within its borders. Freedom does not come easy and is continually the result of dogged persistance and turmoil. However, it does come, this time more than 2 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation AND almost 90 years after American Independence.