On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordan Granger arrived in Galveston, Tex., and spread the news that slaves were free. This historically significant day that changed America forever has value that’s unknown to many. Every year on June 19, people come together to reflect on freedom, celebrate family and community and acknowledge the ongoing struggle for equality.
President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared all enslaved people free, on Jan. 1, 1863. Between slave owners deliberately withholding information, the limited presence of Union soldiers to enforce Lincoln’s order and communication being delayed because of Texas’s rural area, it took two years after the proclamation was put into place for enslaved people in Texas to even become aware of their freedom.
Unfortunately, after General Granger declared the news in Texas, this was still not truly the end of slavery. All enslaved people became officially freed on Dec. 6, 1865 when the 13th Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery completely throughout the entire country.
The day of June 19 itself represents the fight for freedom and the moment that freedom finally reached the farthest corners of the Confederacy. The 13th Amendment came later, when slavery was legally over, but June 19 symbolizes the moment freedom began to feel real, not just written in law but felt in daily life.
Justin Sampson, one of the seniors in our Black Student Union alongside Campbell Brintnall, spoke on the importance of Juneteenth.
“I think that people should recognize this day with curiosity,” said Sampson. “On this day, people should be thinking of the victories that black people have made. Juneteenth is a celebration of a victory, proof that our country can change; though we’re still fighting the battle of racism in this country, Juneteenth represents that it’s still possible to be victorious.”
As we get closer to this historic day, it is a time to celebrate and educate. It’s a time to honor the past, understand the present and continue striving toward a future rooted in justice and equality.
