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Blog
Juneteenth
June 19, 2008
Juneteenth marks an event that happened here in Texas on this day in 1865 when a Union general read the Emancipation Proclamation: The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.
This was good news for a
quarter of a million African American slaves.
Within a couple years big annual celebrations were
happening around the state.
Thirty years ago Al Edwards, a young Houston
legislator, catalyzed support for his bill to make
Juneteenth a state holiday. It was signed into
law in 1980.
Since then more than half the states have followed
suit in one way or another.
Libraries all over—from Florida to New York to
Iowa and beyond—are observing Juneteenth with
discussions, performances, and book displays.
In Racine, Wisconsin, where there will be a special
storytelling session, a local leader said,
“I noticed that a lot of people — young, old and in between — of all races didn’t have an idea of what Juneteenth was about. This is a chance to tell them and this also is an opportunity to use our premier eduction facility, the library.”
By the way, Representative Edwards has extra cause to celebrate this year. In March balloting he won his seat back from a cranky insurance salesman whose accomplishments during two years in office included waving a pistol around during a Christmas party.
Apparently people have various different ways of celebrating holidays. Here's hoping you have a joyful Juneteenth.
The AC Bilbrew Library in Los Angeles offers this excellent Juneteenth bibliography/webliography.
Posted by Bruce Jensen on June 19, 2008 | Comments (0)
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