Juneteenth Celebration

It is the name for a holiday celebrating June 19, 1865, the day when Union soldiers arrived in Texas and spread the word that President Lincoln had delivered his Emancipation Procalamation. News traveled so slowly in those days that Texas did not hear of Lincoln's Proclamation, which he gave on January 1, 1863, until more than two years after it was issued!

The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." Thus, the Emancipation Proclamation was limited in many ways. It applied only to states that had seceded from the Union, leaving slavery untouched in the loyal border states. It also expressly exempted parts of the Confederacy that had already come under Northern control. Most important, the freedom it promised depended upon Union military victory.

Although Juneteenth has been informally celebrated each year since 1865, it wasn't until June 3, 1979, that Texas became the first state to proclaim Emancipation Day (Juneteenth) an official state holiday.

But it is much more than a holiday. Juneteenth has become a day for African Americans to celebrate their freedom, culture, and achievements. It is a day for all Americans to celebrate African American history and rejoice in their freedom. CREDIT: "Juneteenth Celebration program cover." Photo for "Juneteenth Celebration," a Texas Local Legacies project

Governor Quinn Commemorates Juneteenth, Honors Dr. Margaret Burroughs

Signs Legislation at Burroughs-Founded DuSable Museum to Designate March 25 as Day of Remembrance for Victims of Slavery

CHICAGO – June 18, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today commemorated Juneteenth at the DuSable Museum of African American History and proclaimed Dr. Margaret Burroughs Day in honor of the museum’s founder. He also signed legislation to designate March 25 as the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the state of Illinois.

Juneteenth is the oldest and most widely-celebrated holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

“Juneteenth is a day to remember our past and honor those who have made significant contributions to our present,” said Governor Quinn. “I salute Dr. Margaret Burroughs for her incredible work to advance the arts in Illinois and her dedication to ensuring that everyone can experience African American history and culture.”

Dr. Margaret Burroughs. Photo Credit: Indiana University

Dr. Margaret Burroughs made the first of her many contributions to African American arts and culture when, at the age of 22, she founded the South Side Community Arts Center as a gallery and studio for artists and students. The center is still active today and Dr. Margaret Burroughs continues to serve on its board. Then, in 1961, Dr. Margaret Burroughs, her husband Charles and other leading Chicago residents founded the DuSable Museum of African American History. The museum has since grown to be an internationally-recognized museum of African American art.

It was originally located on the ground floor of the Burroughs' home on South Michigan Avenue in Chicago and is named for Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable, the first non-Native-American permanent settler in Chicago.

“As the founder of numerous community institutions, a fighter for social justice and equality during the Civil Rights Movement, and a respected artist and pillar of the African American community, Dr. Margaret Burroughs has touched the lives of countless individuals and throughout her accomplished life has embodied the spirit of Juneteenth by brightening the futures of children and adults all across the Land of Lincoln,” said Governor Quinn in the proclamation.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865 when Union soldiers led by General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and announced the end of the Civil War, freeing all slaves. Though Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was effective two years prior on January 1, 1863, a lack of Union troops in Texas prevented enforcement.

Also at the event, Governor Quinn signed a bill into law to designate March 25 as a Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the state of Illinois. House Bill 4586, sponsored by Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago) and Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago), passed the Illinois General Assembly unanimously. The holiday will coincide with the annual United Nations' International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, which falls on March 25 annually.

"Dr Margaret Burroughs Day" Proclamation in PDF Format. ###

Governor's Office Press Release, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 18, 2010

Governor Douglas Proclaims Juneteenth National Freedom Day in Vermont

Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Jim Douglas has proclaimed June 19 as Juneteenth National Freedom Day in Vermont. Juneteenth, the oldest African-American holiday observance in the nation, celebrates the abolition of slavery in the United States.

“From our founding, Vermonters have been committed to protecting and preserving the freedoms of our fellow citizens,” Governor Douglas said. “In our founding document, the 1777 Constitution, slavery was explicitly prohibited.”

Although President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in September of 1862, slavery continued during the Civil War. On June 18, 1865 Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. The next day, June 19, 1865, General Granger is reported to have read aloud General Order No.3, declaring all slaves free. Later that year the 13th Amendment became effective when it was ratified by Georgia on December 6, 1865, officially abolishing slavery throughout United States.

In 2008, the General Assembly passed and Governor Douglas signed into law H. 432, An Act Establishing Juneteenth National Freedom Day. Act 201 of the 2007-2008 Biennium established the third Saturday in June as a commemorative state holiday. Source: Office of the Governor

Juneteenth Freedom Celebration set for June 19

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center at Indiana University Bloomington will host the 12th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Celebration next Saturday (June 19).

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of enslavement in the United States. From its origin in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, the observance of June 19 as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.

"We commemorate Juneteenth because it marks the beginning of the end of eight generations of enslavement of African people in America," said Audrey T. McCluskey, director of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.

"Although the realization of freedom was to be an ongoing struggle, this beginning validated and reinforced the bright hope that had sustained enslaved people through their long, dark nightmare.

Audrey McCluskey, Courtesy of Indiana University.

"Today, that optimism is needed as we celebrate our collective achievements and fortify ourselves for the work that remains," she added. The event starts at 10 a.m. with the Juneteenth Parade, beginning at the north side of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, located at 275 N. Jordan Ave.

The line-up for the parade will begin at 9:30 outside the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center at the intersection of Seventh Street and Jordan Avenue.

This year, Juneteenth events will be held on the Bloomington campus, primarily in the Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Cener and the surrounding outdoor areas. In addition to the parade, there will be family friendly activities such as a short dramatic performance written and directed by Braeshaun Joyner, presentation of the Unsung Hero Recognition Award, the Juneteenth King and Queen Pageant and a children's booth.

Food, information and business vendors also will be included in the celebration. A Three-on-Three Basketball Tournament will feature special guest Sacramento Kings' forward and Bloomington native Sean May as host. Sign-in for the tournament will take place at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center prior to the tournament at the Wildermuth Intramural Center at the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, 1025 E. Seventh St.

There is still time to registration for the Juneteenth parade, Unsung Hero Recognition and Three-on-Three Basketball Tournament. Anyone interested in participating may pick up the registration forms in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center office, located in suite A226. The forms must be returned to the center by specified dates. Additional information about each event follows:

* All participants for the parade should arrive no later than 9 a.m. to the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center. Line-up for the parade will be held from 9 to 9:30 a.m. and the parade will begin promptly at 10 a.m..
* Recommendations for Unsung Hero Recognition Award must be submitted to Debra Vance at dvance@ivytech.edu by 5 p.m. on Friday (June 11).
* For the basketball tournament, all teams are welcome and can have up to four players. A team registration fee of $20 must be paid at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center office by next Wednesday (June 16).
* Those interested in vending or booth space need to complete a registration form available at the center's office. Fees for vendors are $50 for food sales and $25 for other sales. Booths are free for non-profit organizations and those only providing public affairs information.

More information about the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center and Juneteenth is available online at www.indiana.edu/~nmbcc/ or by calling 812-855-9271.

UI Juneteenth celebration, June 19, observes the end of slavery

Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, will be observed from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 19, in Room 2520D of the University Capitol Centre.

A speaker, music performances and a cake reception are featured in this second annual celebration sponsored by the University of Iowa African American Council and Bethel A.M.E. Church of Iowa City.

The dreams, actions and spirit leading up to this defining moment in history are the focus of the event, celebrating the emancipation of African Americans from slavery.

Emancipation day celebration - later known as Juneteenth and a public holiday in Texas.

While the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, is deemed as the end of slavery in this nation, official notice was delivered two and a half years later to the last slave state, Texas, thus ending slavery. The date of that last proclamation of freedom was June 19, 1865, thus the Juneteenth Celebration. Juneteenth celebrations have grown in popularity across the nation and worldwide in recent decades.

For more information, contact Billie Townsend at 319-354-5995 or billie-townsend@uiowa.edu.

Civil Rights Pioneer Diane Nash to Speak Feb. 4 at Ohio Wesleyan University

Nash Spearheaded Nashville Sit-In Efforts in 1960, Contributed to 1963 March on Washington.

DELAWARE, OH – In 1960, 21-year-old Diane Nash and other Nashville residents quietly began to challenge the exclusionary racial policy of the city’s downtown lunch counters. February marks the 50th anniversary of their now-legendary sit-ins, which elevated the struggle for racial equality to a new level and set the stage for the civil rights crusade of the 1960s.

Nash will speak at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 4 in the Benes Rooms of Ohio Wesleyan University’s Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Her presentation, “The Civil Rights Movement: A Fifty-Year Perspective,” will include time for audience questions, and is free and open to the public. Her presentation kicks off the university’s commemoration of Black History Month.

Diane Nash, a leader of the civil rights movement, will speak Feb. 4 at Ohio Wesleyan as part of the university’s celebration of Black History Month. Photo courtesy of Diane Nash

“Ms. Nash is a towering figure in the freedom struggle,” said history professor Michael Flamm, Ph.D., who is coordinating her Ohio Wesleyan visit. “She provides a personal and inspirational perspective that no textbook or lecture could. I hope everyone comes to hear her speak about her extraordinary life and her timely thoughts on civil rights and race relations in the 21st century.” In spring 1960, Nash publicly questioned Mayor Ben West about the morality of segregation, resulting in his pronouncement that Nashville’s lunch counters should be open to everyone. She then helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, through which she planned and publicized lunch counter sit-ins and “freedom rides” throughout the South. In 1962, while living in Mississippi, Nash was jailed for teaching African American children the techniques of direct nonviolent protest.

Her ideas and efforts were instrumental in 1963’s March on Washington, where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Later, she helped to develop the strategy for the Selma, Ala., right-to-vote movement, which led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. For her efforts, Nash received a “Rosa Parks Award” from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, presented in 1965 by Dr. King himself.

Nash has earned countless additional honors throughout her lifetime, including a “Distinguished American Award” from the John F. Kennedy Library in 2003. Her work also has been discussed in books including “Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice” by Raymond Arsenault and “Freedom’s Daughters: A Juneteenth Story” by Lynne Olson.

In addition, Nash has appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” NBC’s “TODAY,” and in Spike Lee’s film “Four Little Girls.” She also has appeared in the award-winning documentary “A Force More Powerful” and the PBS series “Eyes on the Prize,” a 14-hour television documentary chronicling the American civil rights movement.

Nash’s Ohio Wesleyan visit is co-sponsored by the Department of History, Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, Student Union on Black Awareness, Sagan Fellows Fund, and Joseph and Edith Vogel Lecture Fund.

Ohio Wesleyan’s Black History Month commemoration also will include a Poetry Slam hosted by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs. The poetry slam, free and open to the public, will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Bishop Café on the lower level of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware.

Ohio Wesleyan University is an undergraduate liberal arts college that transforms the lives of its students through a combination of rigorous academics, mentoring relationships, and real-world experiences. Featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” the private university’s 1,850 students come from 45 states and 39 countries.