What to know about Juneteenth, the newest federal holiday

Harmeet Kaur, CNN

(CNN) — Despite Juneteenth’s storied history, nan vacation was mostly overlooked by non-Black Americans until caller years.

The momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement propelled Juneteenth into nan nationalist spotlight, building connected a decades-long push by activists and leaders to get nickname for nan landmark occasion. In 2021, Juneteenth became the latest national holiday in nan US — the first to beryllium approved since Martin Luther King Jr. Day successful 1983.

With Juneteenth now a nationalist holiday, galore nationalist and backstage assemblage labor bask an other time disconnected from activity while brands and corporations capitalize connected nan arena pinch celebratory trading campaigns. But there’s overmuch much to Juneteenth than a agelong play and branded products.

As Black Americans proceed to look nan aforesaid challenges and inequities that inspired truthful galore to return to nan streets successful 2020, it’s worthy reflecting connected nan history down nan holiday.

Juneteenth marks nan extremity of slavery

Juneteenth – besides known arsenic Juneteenth Independence Day, Freedom Day and Emancipation Day – commemorates nan extremity of slavery successful nan United States.

A blend of nan words June and nineteenth, it marks June 19, 1865: nan time that Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. 3, proclaiming that nan enslaved African Americans location were free.

“The group of Texas are informed that, successful accordance pinch a proclamation from nan Executive of nan United States, each slaves are free,” nan bid read. “This involves an absolute equality of individual authorities and authorities of spot betwixt erstwhile masters and slaves, and nan relationship heretofore existing betwixt them becomes that betwixt employer and hired labor.”

Freedom for nan enslaved group of Galveston, Texas, came two-and-a-half years aft President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which couldn’t beryllium enforced successful areas nether Confederate control. It besides came astir 2 months aft Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to nan Union Army astatine Appomattox Court House, Virginia — an arena mostly considered to beryllium nan extremity of nan Civil War.

How Juneteenth is celebrated

What began arsenic an informal ceremony of state by locals successful Galveston yet grew into a wider commemoration of nan extremity of slavery arsenic African Americans successful Texas moved to different parts of nan country. Today, galore African Americans people Juneteenth pinch parties, parades and gatherings pinch family and friends.

Texas became nan first authorities to make Juneteenth a authorities vacation successful 1980. In summation to it being a national holiday, astatine slightest 28 states and Washington, DC, will admit it arsenic a nationalist vacation this year, according to nan Pew Research Center. Other states whitethorn commemorate Juneteenth arsenic a time of observance aliases successful immoderate different form.

With Juneteenth now portion of the mainstream, immoderate activists and leaders point to nan systemic inequities that Black Americans proceed to face, specified arsenic nan group wealthiness gap, disproportionate incarceration and longstanding wellness disparities. One coalition of groups that correspond nan interests of Black communities, successful particular, is acknowledging nan vacation by drafting attraction to nan fight for reparations.

As galore of those calling for wide changes suggest, watching Juneteenth mightiness past beryllium an opportunity to bespeak connected really acold nan federation has travel – and really overmuch further location is to go.