Texas Juneteenth tradition has roots in 1865 Galveston

By 1865, July 4 had been Independence Day for the United States of America for almost 90 years.

In 1865, however, Independence Day came more than two weeks early for enslaved African-Americans in Texas. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston and read a proclamation, called General Order No. 3, which essentially freed the slaves in Texas. Since then, June 19 has since been celebrated as "Juneteenth" in Texas and other states, says Jill Dupont, UNT assistant professor of history and an expert in African-American history and culture.

"Juneteenth is like the Fourth of July for many African Americans because it's symbolic of the end of slavery in America for many people, not just those in Texas," she says.

The Emancipation Proclamation was issued on Jan. 1, 1863. Slaves in Texas soon began hearing rumors of the proclamation, but not until Granger read General Order No. 3 two-and-a-half years later were all slaves in the state aware that they were officially free, Dupont says.

Within a year, assorted celebrations designed to commemorate June 19, 1865, took place in various parts of Texas, she says, "frequently on grounds outside city limits so as not to offend whites, or because whites forced them to."

As African Americans migrated from Texas to other parts of the South and outside the region, they took their celebrations with them, Dupont notes.  Over the years, the day has been marked by a variety of activities, including family reunions; picnics; dancing; church-centered celebrations; public programs incorporating gospel, jazz, blues, hip-hop, and step shows; the cooking of traditional foods; pageants; barbecues; ball games; and parades. Some of these events occur at Texas city parks called "emancipation parks," which were the result of African-Americans banding together in the last part of the 19th-century to purchase land for Juneteenth celebrations.  

Juneteenth became an official state holiday for Texas in 1980, after a bill first introduced by Rep. Al Edwards, D-Houston, was signed into law by Gov. William P. Clements.

Tomorrow's Juneteenth celebration in Denton will include a parade from the parking lot of the Denton Civic Center, 321 E. McKinney, to Fred Moore Park, Bradshaw and East Prairie streets, beginning at 9 a.m.; and a festival with live music, food booths, a talent show and children's games at Fred Moore Park beginning at 11 a.m.  For more information, visit www.dentonjuneteenth.org.

Dupont says that aside from the community celebrations, Juneteenth is used by numerous national organizations to educate, celebrate, and promote knowledge of African American history and culture. 

"Although blacks celebrate the Fourth of July like anyone else, the struggle for independence, and the Declaration of Independence itself, did not result in the end of slavery.  So Juneteenth is a way of marking the struggle that was slavery, the beginning of freedom, and of the familial ties, cultural traditions, and shared memories that link generations of African Americans in the preceding and ongoing struggle for freedom," she says.

BY NANCY KOLSTI nkolsti@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• UNT administrator Walt Parker receives ring from Super Bowl III
• Hastings to serve as School of Library and Information Sciences interim dean
• Construction on Eagle Drive expected to begin soon
• UNT parking permits for 2003-04 for sale soon through intercampus mail
• Historically Underutilized Business Fair brings many vendor options to campus
• Fireworks at Fouts the day before Independence Day
• UNT offers several summer dining choices
• Tips for drivers as summer gas prices remain high

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