JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION
 

It's almost that time again! I can remember as a child all of the festivities (fairs, barbeques, family reunions, etc.) centered around Juneteenth. Here is the link for more information for those of you not so familiar with it... www.juneteenth.com/

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. 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...

excerpt from juneteenth.com


[This message has been edited by AKA2D '91 (edited June 10, 2001).]

My chapter just held our 7th annual Juneteenth celebration this past Saturday. I must confess that before I joined this chapter, I did not know what Juneteenth was! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/frown.gif I will most definitely check out the site to which you referred because we all need to know our history.

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MCCOYRED
Mu Psi '86
BaltCo Alumnae

Dynamic...Salient...Temperate...Since 1913

I celebrated Juneteenth for the phirst time last year. We have a celebration/festival here in Columbus. It's this weekend, this year. I'll share with yall how it was on Monday! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

It's that time again!!!
 

June 19th is approaching! What are you gonna do this year to celebrate?

I know for now, I'll be going to the festival that we have here, but I'm not sure what else.

Shoot, we need to start barbequeing (sp?) on this day INSTEAD of July 4th. Food for thought, food for thought....

Only slightly...
 

I am slightly disturbed at the fact that this thread has no replies. :( I do want to thank Soror AKA2D '91 for sticking it to the top!! SW!

But I'll move on, lol. I'm thinking that this year, in addition to going to the city celebration, I'd like to have something at my house. I want to have decorations, and have people bring traditional soul food (or even African inspired) dishes. Then I'd like to have a discussion (as light as possible) about Juneteenth, what it meant then, and what it means now. I'd also like to encourage people to cease celebrating July 4th, and instead, embrace June 19 as OUR Independence Day. But I'm so sure no one's trying to hear that. Wake up, people, wake up...

I'd also like to share my Juneteenth memory, and there is only one. I used to be on the Sisterfriends listserv. In 2000, I invited all Ohio SF's down to Columbus to go to the Juneteenth Festival. I went and got ballons, made a sign on posterboard, and everything! Two sistahs showed up, and we really enjoyed our afternoon. We walked around the vendors, and just had a good time with our people. When we got some time to ourselves, we'd brought bags with 'ourselves' in them, things that we felt told a little bit about who we were (including the bag we used, I used my AKA bag). It was really nice, and I just heard from one of the ladies this week. She won't be able to make it down this year, though. Come to find out, she cut off all of her hair, too!!! :) Anyway, it was nice to hear from her, because it's the time of year that we met.

I encourage everyone to participate in the celebration of our physical freedom. Perhaps, in the celebrations, we can figure out how to free our people, mentally.

A Luta Continua.....

I was in Houston this past weekend and I know, as usual there will be a concert of sorts. I think Galveston also has things planned as well.

This is my first time posting on this board though I have posted on other boards, I hope its ok.

With respect to Juneteeth, I never attended an event in celebration of the ending of Slavery until after I graduated from college. When I moved to New York, I was in a local YMCA and found a flyer hanging on the community events board. When I attended it was a lovely time. We watched a show at the planetarium which depicted how those traveling the Underground Railroad used the stars to navigate the route. Later, we made gourd instruments with a local musican. My husband and I really learned a lot that day and look forward to taking more people to the upcoming event with us this year. I also love the idea of having a little get together at the home to mark the day and to educate others who may be as unaware as I once was.

We should...
 

celebrate it like the "other" americans celebrate the "Civil War". Yall know how they be reinactin' that shit. WE should get some brothas and re-inact Cinque's, Denmark Vessey's, and Nat Turner's events; and get some TV coverage on it too(BET excluded)!

This year, I will be celebrating with our NAACP Youth. We are sponsoring a picnic at the "playground" (the playground was ours back during segreagation and still serves as the center of our community). We'll be having a BBQ as well as a talent show, games and just sharing as a black family!!

There's a three day event in St. Petersburg, Florida, highlighting Juneteenth. I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't know what Juneteenth was until I went to a banking convention in Houston. The social outing was to a black rodeo with a precelebration for Juneteenth.

I went to the Junteenth this past weekend and I was thoroughly disgusted. It was nothing but a fashion show. The ladies looked down right STANK! I bet if I had asked any of the people there what Juneteenth meant, they would look at me looking straight crazy. It's sad that things have to be that way.

Juneteenth strangeness
 

The one in Oceanside, Calif., wasn't a fashion show, but it had its wiggy moments.

Then again, I was on another listserv and we were talking about inappropriate MLK day events. Among them was a MLK Day A@* Fest. :eek:
I'm not kidding. I hardly think that people got maimed or killed for us to act crazy.

Happy Juneteenth Everybody!!!!!!!
 

TTT

June what?
 

Yeah, that's what I said when I first heard of "Juneteenth" just a few years ago. I felt very out of the loop until I heard it was primarily a Texas celebration that has spread throughout the US (and Cali tends to sometimes hear about "Black" things very late, I think). I've never been to a celebration but there's a 3-day event going on here this weekend. Gospel choir Friday night kicks-off the event, and then there's the Black Rodeo and some other things on Saturday. I'm not sure what's happening Sunday. Once again, I won't be able to make it, though. :( Friday is booked with kid's stuff and my chapter is holding its annual June (Hat) Scholarship luncheon on Saturday. Saturday afternoon and Sunday are also booked with kids/family/father's day stuff. Once again, I'll have to put off going until next year.