Our newest holiday, Juneteenth, is also known as Freedom or Emancipation Day.
Two months after the Confederate army had surrendered, and more than two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, Major General Gordon Granger, accompanied by union troops, proclaimed the freedom of slaves in Texas.
Some individuals in Texas had not gained their freedom until the proclamation was announced, according to sources. Galveston, which is where Gen. Granger landed to announce the proclamation, has a 5,000 foot mural and continues a series of activities which you can learn about here.
But Boston, Worcester, and other localities are celebrating the holiday, too.
Boston is celebrating in a big way and it has a wide range of programs which are promoted through the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Worcester has a flag raising at City Hall on Saturday, June 18 at 12:00pm as part of the Black Heritage Festival. Last year’s recorded, virtual celebration is on that page too.
Salem’s Peabody-Essex Museum has a special exhibit.
Emancipation and its history are at the core of understanding our country and American history as a whole. Slavery, Emancipation, and the acceptance of Black Americans as equal citizens has shaped our country as much as any other series of events, milestones, or periods of time.
As Juneteenth becomes universally recognized, Massachusetts and the nation is addressing its accountability for access and equity.
Many of our constituents are left behind during this recovery period. Those who are disadvantaged due to language, race, or financial capacity may not even know who to contact to obtain the resources needed. Our advocacy needs to advance the lives of all of our constituents!
