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Juneteenth - This celebration of freedom from slavery is the oldest African-American holiday observed in the United States. Juneteenth has come to symbolize for many African-Americans what the Fourth of July symbolizes for all Americans. . . Freedom. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger's regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance. Later attempts to explain this two and a half year delay in the receipt of this important news have yielded several versions that have been handed down through the years. Often told is the story of a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another, is that the news was deliberately withheld by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations. And still another, is that federal troops actually waited for the slave owners to reap the benefits of one last cotton harvest before going to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. All or none of them could be true. For whatever the reason, conditions in Texas remained status quo well beyond what was statutory. Observances of a Juneteenth holiday have been growing in recent years. National Public Radio (NPR) commentator Eric Copage thinks that African-Americans should look to the Jewish High Holy Days for an example of how Juneteenth could be celebrated. Click here to listen to the four minute NPR segment. (Requires RealPlayer) Please join us in the campaign to commemorate Juneteenth on a U.S. Postal Stamp. Be a part of this historic endeavor. For a listing of Juneteenth Celebrations in your state, click here. Other sites that list Juneteenth information and celebrations:
www.123Greetings.com - Send someone you love a very special Juneteenth greeting card.
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