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Happy Juneteenth! The Good Good Good office is closed today as our team commemorates this important holiday, but we prepared this bonus Goodnewsletter filled with good news, resources, and ways we can all thoughtfully join in celebrating.
Celebrating juneteenth
Photo: Courtesy of the African American Library at The Gregory School, Houston Public Library
We can celebrate Juneteenth the ‘right’ way by learning more about its history — and its present
Confusion around how to celebrate Juneteenth — should observers attend cookouts? Or is it a day of learning? — likely emerged because many Americans didn’t even learn about the significance of June 19, 1865 until it became the newest federal holiday in 2021.
Some refer to Juneteenth as the nation’s second Independence Day, or “Emancipation Day,” “Freedom Day,” and “Jubilee Day.” Today, celebrants will look to the earliest Juneteenth celebrations, with events such as historical reenactments, parades, picnics, music and speeches.
At the same time, it’s important to acknowledge that the holiday met early and persistent opposition, particularly in the time following Reconstruction. And it still does today, with the Trump administration and state legislatures across the country cutting funds and attempting to ban the type of education that led to the national recognition of the holiday in the first place.
One Black Texas family’s fight for freedom on Juneteenth offers lessons for lawmakers erasing history today
Samuel Walker Houston — son of a man who was freed on Juneteenth — founded one of the “leading schools” in East Texas with the belief that young Texans of all races needed to learn an account of history that differed from the white supremacist narrative that dominated Southern history.
He joined forces with two white professors to fight against racism and racist representation of Black people in the state’s schools.
They faced plenty of pushback — with the same justification provided by Texas lawmakers still today, as many try to restrict the teaching of systemic racism in public schools and ignore the lessons and realities represented by the Houstons’ lives.
Juneteenth (short for June 19th) commemorates the day the last remaining enslaved people in the U.S. received word that the Civil War had ended and they had been liberated by the federal orders in President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The year was 1865 — two and a half years after Lincoln’s proclamation.
In the years following June 19, 1865, the anniversary of this event was celebrated and honored in Galveston with prayer and family gatherings. The tradition spread and it’s celebrated today through backyard parties, community parades, memorials, delicious meals, and more.
However it’s celebrated, Juneteenth is a time of sharing stories of Black resilience, resistance, liberation, and joy.
It’s also an opportunity for all of us to deepen our understanding of United States history and pave the way to a brighter, more just future for all Americans. Here are some ways we can do that:
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