The newest federal holiday, Juneteenth, is just around the corner. Here’s what we should all know about this holiday.
Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation famously “proclaimed” emancipation but it didn’t actually free many slaves. It proclaimed that enslaved persons held in states in rebellion against the United States – the Confederacy – were emancipated. But of course these states, being in rebellion, didn’t recognize the authority of the United States government to do anything, much less free their slaves. This Proclamation did free the slaves held in the border states that had not seceded – Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware. Toward the end of the war, as parts of the Confederacy fell to Union forces, emancipation became a legal possibility for the enslaved persons in these areas. But it was not an automatic or immediate process.
Although the Confederate General-in-chief Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, the western Confederate Army under General E. Kirby Smith did not surrender until May 26. Several weeks later, on June 19, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived at Galveston, Texas, to take command of the more than 2,000 federal troops that had been dispatched there to enforce emancipation and to oversee Reconstruction.
Celebrations of June 19 as “Jubilee Day” began the following year and continued in Texas for decades, growing every year. The word “Juneteenth” began to be used in the 1890s, and was first seen in print in 1909. During the Jim Crow era, Juneteenth celebrations diminished. However, the holiday saw a revival during the Civil Rights era, as cities across America began to host celebrations. The date became an official Texas state holiday in 1979. By 2000, three more states had recognized it as a holiday, and by the time it became a federal holiday, it had been recognized as a state holiday in every state except South Dakota.
The road to making Juneteenth a federal holiday was winding, as you might expect. Legislation to establish this holiday was first introduced in 1996, when it quickly passed in the House. A similar resolution passed in the Senate in 2013. After much effort by the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation and the individual efforts of Opal Lee, often referred to as the “grandmother of Juneteenth,” the day was declared a federal holiday on June 17, 2021. It was first observed just two days later. This year, 2022, is the first year that it has been part of everyone’s planning calendars. This is a holiday by and for everyone who cherishes freedom.
It's not hard to find Juneteenth celebrations. In my community, here are a few things that are happening this weekend:
William & Mary Juneteenth Commemoration
Friday, June 17 from 3 pm to 7 pm. William & Mary is joining communities around the country to recognize and celebrate Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the United States. William & Mary will celebrate Juneteenth in person for the first time at the site of Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved. This is on the Jamestown Road side of the Old Campus, across from the Admissions Office and Campus Center.
Juneteenth Commemorative Art Exhibition – Opening Reception
Friday, June 17th from 6 pm – 8 pm Opening Reception – Stryker Center Gallery. The Stryker Center Gallery will present a special exhibition of local and regional Black artists curated by artist Willis Potter.
YJCW (Yorktown/James City County/Williamsburg) NAACP Motor Parade & Juneteenth Community Fest on Bicentennial Park
Motor Parade – Highland Park to Bicentennial Park. Saturday, June 18 from 9 a.m. to Noon. The parade meetup is at 8:30 a.m. in front of Highland Park
Come attend the motor parade from Highland Park to Bicentennial Park through Richmond Road, car show with Hampton Roads Customs and more. At the Juneteenth Community Fest on Bicentennial Park there will be live music by The Vinyl Word Show radio team, dancing by Intense Fiyaaaaa and Won’t Stop Can’t Stop, community engagement vendors, with participation from the City of Williamsburg, the Highland Park Civic Association, the League of Women Voters, Union Baptist Church, the African American Male Coalition from William & Mary, William & Mary NAACP-College Chapter, and the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
Juneteenth at Jamestown Settlement
Saturday June 18th from 2 pm – 3:30 pm. Celebrate Juneteenth a day early at Jamestown Settlement with music, dance, spoken word performances and dramatic presentations.
York County Juneteenth Celebration
Saturday, June 18, 5:00 PM – 8:30 PM – McReynolds Athletic Complex
The event features speakers, performers, food truck vendors, and more. It is free and open to the public. Performers scheduled to appear are: DJ Freestyle, Marching Elite, Intense Fiyaaaa, and Crimson Thunder.
FREE Admission to Colonial Williamsburg on June 19, 2022
Colonial Williamsburg will be offering free admission on Sunday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth Community Consortium Inter-Faith Experience
Join us for an interfaith worship service on Sunday, June 19, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. on the lawn of the Art Museums in Williamsburg to celebrate “Juneteenth Independence Day,” the end of slavery and the emancipation of the formerly enslaved people.
Bray School Archaeology Project – June 19th from 9 am – 4:30 pm
Visitors are invited to stop by the Williamsburg Bray School Archaeology site, talk to archaeologists in the field, and learn about the Bray School Initiative, a partnership between Colonial Williamsburg and the College of William and Mary, and the work underway to relocate the original Bray School building and, using archaeological evidence, recreate the surrounding area in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area. Located at the corner of Prince George and Boundary Streets. No ticket or reservation is required.
Freedom’s Paradox
Take a 60-minute walking tour of the Randolph Yard, Market Square and Palace Green. Examine slavery’s evolution, and the reliance upon it by patriots like Peyton Randolph, to build a city, a colony and eventually a nation. Explore the paradox of the institution of slavery and the movement for independence by looking at the experiences of the free and enslaved members of the Randolph Household.
Loquacious Lucy, Queen for a Day
When Lucy, a gregarious and loquacious enslaved child, learns that her best friend has been sold, her father must teach her hard lessons about slavery and instill in her the pride of her ancestors. Showtimes at 10:30 am, 11:30 am and 12:30 pm at the outdoor Play House Stage in Colonial Williamsburg. More info
Charlton Stage Programs – Outdoor Theatre Performances at 11:45 AM, 2:45 PM, and 4:00 PM (behind the Charlton Coffeehouse near the Capitol)
Visit with a Nation Builder – Edith Cumbo – at 11:45 AM (about 25 minutes) – Step into the past with Nation Builder Edith Cumbo, Free Black Sister, Mother, Fighter, and Founder. Through stories, discussion, and questions, explore the hopes, choices, and challenges she faced in Williamsburg and beyond.
Visit with a Nation Builder – Gowan Pamphlet at 2:45 PM (about 25 minutes) Step into the past with Nation Builder Gowan Pamphlet, Revolutionary Black Baptist Preacher. Through stories, discussion, and questions, explore the hopes, choices, and challenges he faced in Williamsburg and beyond. 2:45 PM at Charlton Stage
My Story My Voice – Sam’s War -at 4 PM – (about 25 minutes) Witness a compelling story from the life of an 18th-century person, and then hear from the actor interpreter as they share how they discover and bring to life a voice from the past. Sam, a formerly enslaved soldier, tells us his heroic story of self-liberation, his encounters with the Shawnee, his supposed enemy, and those who enslaved him. As he wrestles with the ugly truth of how Black soldiers are perceived a rare opportunity sends him to the battlefield to prove his mettle. Which army will he fight for?
A Taste of Freedom at Hennage Auditorium in the Art Museum of Colonial Williamsburg at 1:30 PM 2:15 PM
Before Juneteenth and the Emancipation Proclamation, thousands of formerly enslaved men, women, and children gained freedom and sanctuary by escaping to Union camps in the south after Shepard Mallory, Frank Baker and James Townsend secured their liberty at Fort Monroe. Learn about one of those men, Americus Weston, and his journey to freedom in this 45-minute museum theatre program, developed to commemorate Juneteenth.
An interesting op-ed appeared in the Boston Globe about this holiday, written by an African American woman. She was lamenting what she feels has been lost now that Juneteenth is a national holiday. I'll see if I can find it.