Nation commemorates June 19 in rallies

DALLAS — A year after President Joe Biden signed legislation making June 19 the nation’s 12th federal holiday, people across the United States have come together at events filled with music, food and bonfires. ‘artifice. The celebrations also focused on learning about history and addressing racial disparities. Many black people celebrated the day as they did before any official recognition.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, commemorates the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to order the freedom of slaves from the state, two months after the surrender of the Confederacy during the civil war.

“Great nations do not ignore their most painful moments,” Biden said in a statement on Sunday. “They fight them to become stronger. And that’s what this great nation must continue to do.”

A Gallup poll found that Americans know Juneteenth better than they did last year, with 59% saying they know “a lot” or “a little” about the holiday, up from 37% a year ago. a year in May. The poll also found that support for integrating Juneteenth into school history lessons rose from 49% to 63%.

Yet many states have been slow to designate it as a holiday. Lawmakers in Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and elsewhere have not advanced proposals this year that would have closed state offices and granted paid furlough to most of their public employees.

The celebrations in Texas included one in a Houston park created 150 years ago by a group of former slaves who purchased the land. At times, it was the only public park available in the area for the black community, according to the reservation’s website.

“They wanted a place where not only could they celebrate their birthday, but they could do other things during the year as a community,” said Jacqueline Bostic, vice chair of the Emancipation Park board. Conservancy and great-granddaughter of one of the park’s founders, Reverend Jack Yates.

This weekend’s celebration included performances from The Isley Brothers and Kool & The Gang. In the weeks leading up to June 19, the park hosted discussions on topics ranging from health care to policing to the role of green spaces.

Attendees included Robert Stanton, the first African American to serve as director of the National Park Service, and Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd, who grew up in the historically black neighborhood where the park is located and whose murder by a Minneapolis police officer two years ago sparked protests around the world.

As more and more people learn about Juneteenth, “we want to harness that and use this moment as a tool to educate people about history and not just African American history, but American history,” said Ramon Manning, chairman of the board of the Emancipation Park Conservancy.

In Fort Worth, celebrations included the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, named after the black cowboy who is credited with introducing bulldogging or steer wrestling. Rodeo president and CEO Valeria Howard Cunningham said kids often express surprise that there are real black cowboys and cowgirls.

More and more young people have become involved in planning the June 19 events, said Torrina Harris, program director of the Nia Cultural Center in Galveston, the birthplace of the holiday.

Juneteenth provides an opportunity to reflect on “the different practices or norms that contradict freedom values” and think about how to challenge those things, Harris said.

Some of the biggest celebrations in the United States not only touch upon the history of slavery in America, but also celebrate black culture, food, and businesses.

In Phoenix, hundreds of people gathered for an annual event in Eastlake Park, which has been a focal point for civil rights in Arizona. The recently crowned Miss Juneteenth Arizona used her platform to talk about how she felt empowered during the state pageant, which is part of a national pageant that showcases and celebrates the academic and artistic achievements of women black.

It’s “a time to build sisterhood, it’s not about fighting for a crown, it’s about celebrating the intelligence of black women and staying true to ourselves,” Shaundrea Norman said. , 17, whose family hails from Texas and grew up knowing Juneteenth.

Kendall McCollun, 15-year-old Teen Miss Juneteenth Arizona, said the holiday was about fighting for social justice.

“We have to fight twice as hard to have the same freedoms that our ancestors fought for hundreds of years ago,” she said. “It’s important that we keep fighting for my generation, and this day is important to celebrate how far we’ve come.”

In New York, Juneteenth was celebrated across all five boroughs, with events drawing crowds that exceeded organizers’ expectations. In downtown Brooklyn, more than 7,000 people attended a food festival hosted Saturday and Sunday by Black-Owned Brooklyn, a digital publication and directory of local black businesses.

Although Juneteenth is a black American holiday, festival organizers said they intend to include cuisines and flavors from Caribbean and West African countries. On Sunday, long lines formed from nearly every food stall, while a DJ played soulful house music for the festively dressed attendees.

“The idea of ​​celebrating Juneteenth around our food culture is especially meaningful here in Brooklyn, where we have so many black people living here from all over the world,” said Tayo Giwa, co-creator of Black-Owned Brooklyn.

“Paying homage to him through our shared connection in the (African) diaspora is really powerful,” he said.

The event was held at the Weeksville Heritage Center, which was one of the largest black freed communities before the Civil War. Attendees were treated to guided tours of the grounds, which include historic homes and other structures once inhabited by the community’s founders.

“For a day dedicated to emancipation, it makes sense that people come together on this earth and nourish themselves not only with food, but also with spirit and soul, with emotion and love,” said Isa Saldaña, Head of Programs and Partnerships for Weeksville Heritage. Center.

” A big part of [Juneteenth] is to learn to be free and to feel good doing it,” she said.

Jeffrey Whaley Sr. attended the festival with his three children on Sunday, which was also Father’s Day. The native of the borough of Staten Island in New York said he hopes the June 19 federal celebrations will increase awareness of Black American history in the United States.

“As each of us grows, we need to grow in the awareness that we have suffered much longer than they tell us,” Whaley said. “It is our duty to our ancestors to ensure that we educate and improve ourselves in this country, because this country owes us a lot.”

Information for this article was provided by Kimberlee Kruesi and Aaron Morrison of The Associated Press.

Pamela Junior, director of both Mississippi museums, speaks about the historical roots of Juneteenth, as she stands in front of the entrance exhibits at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, Thursday, June 16, 2022, in Jackson. Juneteenth recognizes the day in 1865, when the Emancipation Proclamation – which had been issued on January 1, 1863 – was read to enslaved African Americans in Texas. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Opal Lee arrives at City Hall after walking 2.5 miles through Fort Worth, Texas to recognize Juneteenth on Saturday, June 18, 2022. Along with hundreds of supporters, Lee walked the 2.5 miles symbolizing the 2.5 years it took for enslaved African Americans to be freed after the Emancipation Proclamation. (Madeleine Cook/Star-Telegram via AP)

FILE – People attend Juneteenth celebrations in the Harlem borough of New York, June 19, 2021. Recognition of Juneteenth, the effective end of slavery in the United States, gained momentum after the murder of George Floyd by police in 2020. But after an initial flurry of action, the movement to have it recognized as an official state holiday has largely stalled. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File)

Members of the Acres Homes community salute riders participating in Mayor Turner’s 9th Annual June 19 Parade, Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Houston. (Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A visitor takes a photo of the Absolute Equality Mural, unveiled June 16, with their cell phone, Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Galveston, Texas. Galveston is the birthplace of Juneteenth, but has seen a steady decline in its black population over the years. (Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Opal Lee pushes one of her great-granddaughters in a stroller as she waves to musicians playing along the route during the 2022 Opal Freedom Walk on Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Fort Worth. Lee, often called the ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth’, led her annual two and a half mile march, representing the number of years after the Emancipation Proclamation before Texas slaves learned they were free . (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

FILE – Dancer Prescylia Mae of Houston performs during an ‘Absolute Equality’ mural dedication ceremony in downtown Galveston, Texas June 19, 2021. Juneteenth recognition, effective end of slavery in the United States, gained traction after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. But after an initial flurry of action, the movement to have it recognized as an official holiday in the United States is largely stalled. (Stuart Villanueva/The Galveston County Daily News via AP, file)

Daisa Chantel kisses Anthony Beltran as they take a photo to celebrate Juneteenth at Leimert Park in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)