Juneteenth, a Celebration of Freedom from Slavery

Many of us acknowledge the Fourth of July as the day we celebrate our freedom. But digging into our history reveals there is more to the story.

The Fourth of July is Independence Day. It’s when we celebrate our nationhood and break from the monarchy. Juneteenth is the day we celebrate freedom—freedom for all Americans, particularly those enslaved.

If you are wondering why, as it’s a relatively recent revelation—you are not alone. Much of white America grew up with no idea of what Juneteenth was. Nor was it celebrated nationwide. But the Black community has long held this holiday up as their true Independence Day.  Let's discover why.

The History of the Matter

In general, slavery isn’t discussed often which is part of the reason we haven’t been tuned in to Juneteenth.    Introduced on September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which stated that those enslaved within states still in rebellion as of January 1, 1863, would be free. But many of those enslaved failed to hear the news. This was due in part to slave owners withholding the information. But remember, it was illegal in many states for those enslaved to read or write.

Lincoln's bold step was a military measure intended to inspire the slaves in the Confederacy to support the Union’s cause. The president was gravely concerned that the Union would lose the war and the United States would be no more. Because it was a military measure, the proclamation was limited in its power. It applied only to states that had seceded from the Union and left slavery untouched in other states that had remained loyal to the nation.

Essentially, every advance of Federal troops thereafter expanded the freedom of those enslaved. Moreover, the proclamation announced the acceptance of black men into the Union Army and Navy. For those in the Black community who did get word, approximately 200,000 soldiers and sailors joined and fought for the Union. They fought for their own freedom.

For approximately two years, the Civil War waged on while many plantations continued slavery—despite the proclamation. There was a strong debate stating that the Proclamation wasn’t legitimate as southern states that had left the union could not be governed by the union. A binding legal action was required.

It wasn’t until the confederacy surrendered that news of freedom spread fully. That was on April 6, 1865. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas and announced the news to thousands of individuals still enslaved. Despite the fact that President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was issued almost two and a half years earlier on January 1, 1863, a lack of Union troops in the rebel state of Texas made the order next to impossible to enforce. After all, there was a war going on.

The passing of the thirteenth amendment followed the confederacy’s surrender. It took almost a year to ratify the amendment. At the time, three-fourths of the vote was required to ratify. On December 6, 1865, slavery was officially outlawed.

The Speech that Preached Understanding

Prior to the Emancipation Proclamation being implemented, abolitionist Frederick Douglas gave a speech titled, “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro.” He presented this work in Rochester, New York on July 5, 1852. It was 2 months prior to the declaration of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Douglas inquired, "What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sound of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants brass fronted impudence; your shout of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy — a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages." 

Frederick Douglas gave many speeches regarding abolition and was a powerful orator. He gave voice to the silent suffering of slaves across the globe, as well as in America. On that fateful day, Douglas proclaimed what so many were scared to even whisper. Moreover, he did so without apology or fear.

In an era when our country was torn between wanting to continue the abomination of slavery and end it, Frederick Douglas used his talents and strength to further the cause of abolition. It was this insight that afforded the white community a greater understanding of the true plight and suffering of the Black community.

The Similarities of Juneteenth and Fourth of July

• Both Juneteenth and the Fourth of July are holidays that celebrate emancipation. The Fourth of July is when our Founding Fathers declared themselves free from the taxation and laws of the English monarchy. Juneteenth is when we celebrate the day that all Americans became truly free. The thread of both is the theme of freedom.

  Not everyone knows that both Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, and John Adams died on the 50^th anniversary of the signing of that Declaration. That’s right, they both passed away on July 4, 1826—almost 30 years before the thirteenth amendment was passed. Adams’s last words were, “Jefferson survives.”

  Unbeknownst to the second president of the United States, Jefferson had taken his last breath several hours before. There were no phones or quick forms of communication. Both men had passed thinking the other had survived. Their devotion and commitment to freedom created a friendship that lasted a lifetime. Even when they disagreed politically, they stayed the course of facilitating a country where everyone could have the opportunity for success, peace and happiness.

  Jefferson’s famous words written in the Declaration have become America’s legacy. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” The Declaration of Independence was a mutual achievement as Jefferson consulted Adams, as well as Benjamin Franklin for its final copy before presenting it to the Second Continental Congress. It was their greatest accomplishment.

  Jefferson had to decline his invitation to the 50th-anniversary celebration of the Declaration in DC due to poor health. He responded in kind via letter. An avid writer and documenter, it was the last letter he ever wrote.

  The following excerpt is from that document:

  May it be to the world, what I believe it will be… the signal of arousing men to burst the chains… and to assume the blessings and security of self-government. That form, which we have substituted, restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. All eyes are opened or opening to the rights of man. For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights and an undiminished devotion to them.” June 24, 1826

  It’s easy to apply Jefferson’s sentiments for the Declaration of Independence to Juneteenth as well. The intentions are the same. Thomas Jefferson’s words seemed to preemptively speak to the holiday’s intentions decades before emancipation took place.

  Both holidays are distinct in nature but with a similar essence. Freedom from tyranny. Freedom to live one’s life as their own. Devout political ideologies were pursued and implemented in order to obtain each course of action. In the midst of intense hardships and gross atrocities our Founding Fathers as well as Abraham Lincoln worked relentlessly to ensure that America retain its power.

  Ultimately, our country is stronger united than divided. As we celebrate Juneteenth this year, remember that our power is in our people and freedom is for everyone. And let’s give thanks for the radio, TV, podcasts and the internet. We can only act on what we know!