What Is Juneteenth?
Today is June 19th which is also known as Juneteenth or Freedom day. You have probably seen Facebook posts or heard news reports regarding festivals, parades and parties in celebration of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth is the combination of June and 19th which is the day that Major Gen. Gordon Granger came to Galveston to announce that the slaves had been freed. Sadly they had already been freed back in January 1,1863 but due to several different factors they weren't made aware of it until June 19,1865. Today marks the day that America took a step forward in becoming one nation for all!
"Melania and I send our warmest greetings to all those celebrating Juneteenth, a historic day recognizing the end of slavery.
Though President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, news traveled slowly from Washington, D.C., to the southern states. More than two years later, on June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger stood on the Ashton Villa balcony in Galveston, Texas, to deliver the belated message of the then-deceased President: all slaves were free.
Granger’s astonishing words inspired soulful festivities and emotional rejoicing. Over the years, as freedmen and freedwomen left Texas, they took Juneteenth and its meaning with them. Today, we celebrate this historic moment in 1865, as we remember our Nation’s fundamental premise that all men and women are created equal.
On Juneteenth 2017, we honor the countless contributions made by African Americans to our Nation and pledge to support America’s promise as the land of the free."
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