It's Juneteenth All Over The Nation
Prince George’s County Councliman Derrick Leon Davis.
By Derrick Leon Davis
On Saturday, we will commemorate and celebrate Juneteenth, the oldest nationally-celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States, now honored as a state holiday, or a day of observance in nearly all of our 50 states, the District of Columbia, and of course, our own Prince George’s County!
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Even though President Abraham Lincoln had issued an executive order, later known as the Emancipation Proclamation, in September of 1862 to be effective January 1, 1863 (the Emancipation Proclamation granted freedom to the slaves in the Confederate States if the States did not return to the Union by January 1, 1863), it wasn’t until June 19th, 1865 when the Union Army made its way into Galveston, TX under the leadership of General Gordon Granger, who took control of the state and announced to the people of Texas that all enslaved African Americans were free. These colonists were freemen and indentured servants who were put to work as farmers and laborers; forced migration which began a centuries-long struggle for freedom and equality for minorities in America. Although there were enslavers who were aware of the implementation of the Emancipation Proclamation, emancipation didn’t happen overnight for everyone and in some cases, enslavers withheld the information until after harvest season. Celebrations broke out among newly freed Black people, and Juneteenth was born. That December, slavery in America was formally abolished with the adoption of the 13th Amendment. The year following 1865, freedmen in Texas organized the first of what became the annual celebration of "Jubilee Day" on June 19.
As the country prepares for Juneteenth to become a federally recognized holiday, we acknowledge the progress made on the road to freedom, while recognizing that the road ahead is a lengthy one. It requires us to have the difficult conversations around civil liberties and the existing race, gender and socioeconomic inequities that exist. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to examine those inequities in America’s institutions to not only include healthcare but the areas of housing and education as well. It forces us to have real discussions around access and opportunities gaps with regards to financial wealth and employment. We find ourselves asking what does the fight for freedom look like moving forward?
While those conversations continue, we celebrate the historical legacy of Juneteenth and many of the cultural traditions created by our ancestors. We pay homage to those ancestors who made sacrifices for future generations to enjoy the liberties that are provided to us today. We continue to educate all communities on the importance of Juneteenth by participating in such commemorative events to include this year’s the Juneteenth 2021 schedule of events, including workshops, lectures, art exhibitions and musical performances, hosted by the Prince George's County Department of Parks & Recreation. As a part of its ongoing mission to provide exciting and unique cultural programming to county residents, the Department of Parks & Recreation's Juneteenth celebration is a must-attend event that is free, family-friendly and are open to the public.
A big thank you to Prince George's Planning Board Chair Elizabeth Hewlett; Dr. Dennis Doster, Black History Program Manager for the Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Park and Planning Staff for planning a safe and full Juneteenth schedule this year.
As always, my heartfelt gratitude to the architect behind Prince George’s County’s Juneteenth Annual Celebration, my predecessor in District 6, the Honorable Samuel H. Dean. A timeline of the Prince George's County Council efforts to make Juneteenth a recognized holiday throughout the County is highlighted below.
Derrick Leon Davis (D-Dist. 6) is a Prince George’s County Councilmember.
