Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Juneteenth a special time commemorating slavery's end

June is a special month for Black History across the nation.

Dating back to 1865, after the fall of the confederacy, all black slaves were freed, even though President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863.

Southern states, at the time, refused to recognize this presidential order as they were fighting the Union troops in the Civil War.

However, on June 19, 1965, after the surrender of Gen. Robert E. Lee to U.S. Grant, the order was acknowledged.

The first state to free its slaves was Texas, as Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, who had landed at Galveston with news of the surrender, used his troops to enforce the edict.

One of Granger's first orders upon arriving in Texas was: "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equity of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer."

Reaction to the order were mixed at the time, as some were overjoyed, while others were shocked.

Some slaves left their former masters as soon as they learned of their freedom. Though they had nowhere to go, these former slaves thought leaving would be their first grasp at freedom.

Many went north, as it was the logical destination because it represented "true freedom."

Others, though, wanted to reunite with family members and migrated to neighboring states, such as Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.

Here, they settled as free men and women, but faced new challenges with their new status  a status never before existing for a black person in America.

However, the freed slaves remembered the day in June of 1865 and the festivities thereof. This served as motivation, along with being a release from the growing pressure encountered in their new homes.

The term "Juneteenth" was coined for the June 19 celebration and recognition of their freedom.

With each passing year, the celebration has grown, with descendants carrying on the tradition.

Juneteenth was, for them, a time of reassuring one another, praying and gathering remaining family members together.

Decades after the original decree had been made Juneteenth was still highly revered in Galveston, with many former slaves and their descendants making an annual pilgrimage on June 19.

The celebration included a wide variety of activities to entertain those attending at the time. Many of these activities are still observed today.

The events include rodeos, fishing, barbecuing and baseball, among others.

But, Juneteenth's primary focus has always been on education and self improvement.

Because of this, guest speakers were called in, with elders called upon to recount events of the past. Prayer services were also a major part of the celebrations.

Certain foods became popular, and eventually synonymous with Juneteenth.