Juneteenth is Now a Federal Holiday
On June 17, just days before this year’s Juneteenth holiday, President Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth (June 19) a federal holiday.
When President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, the enslavement of African people ended in states controlled by the Confederacy. However, it wasn’t until the 13th Amendment was ratified in December of 1865 that slavery was finally abolished in the United States.
Many enslaved Africans had no idea that President Lincoln had even signed the Emancipation Proclamation. In Texas, one of the last states to rely financially on enslaved human beings, more than two-and-a-half years passed before enslaved people received their freedom.
Juneteenth commemorates the date of June 19, 1865, when General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to demand that enslaved people there be set free. Until that time, the Union army had not had sufficient strength to enforce the emancipation of the approximately 250,000 Black people enslaved in Texas, the most distant such state.
Historic Juneteenth celebrations have included religious services, readings, inspirational speeches, and music. The popularity of the holiday lost momentum during the eras of Jim Crow, following emancipation. Despite being “free,” it simply wasn’t safe for many African Americans to celebrate the holiday. The holiday wasn’t widely, openly celebrated until after the civil rights movements of the 1960s. Today, many celebrate the day in much the same way as in the early days. Some celebrations are similar to the Fourth of July, with parades, street fairs, dancing, music, and cookouts with family and friends.
June is Pride Month
Gina Toothaker, Program Director in Steamboat Springs, helps honor, celebrate, and support the LGBTQ+ community at Steamboat Springs’ first Pride event!