June 19, 2022, marks the first year that the holiday, Juneteenth, will be celebrated; it is America’s newest federal holiday. As a result, there is much confusion about the day. Here’s a brief history of how the holiday came about.
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation through Executive Order on January 1, 1863. This was the law, the document that freed enslaved people in the United States. Not all the states recognized the notice on the same day. Galveston, Texas, did not receive the message of “freedom” until June 19, 1865, two years after the President’s proclamation. On June 19, 1865, Union Army General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 that freed the enslaved of Texas two years late. According to the New York Times, “For the more than 250,000 enslaved Black Texans, the impact of the order was not immediate; some plantation owners withheld the information, delaying it until after one more harvest season. But a year later, in 1866, unofficial Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas.“
The Black people of Galveston began to celebrate the date as “Jubliee Day.” Texas was the last state of the Confederacy with institutional slavery. Other states have marked the date. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. This year is the first that all Americans will recognize and celebrate the holiday.
The Austin Celebration…
The President/CEO of Austin Peoples Action Center or APAC, Cynthia Williams, says, “Juneteenth helps connect generations to the past and present and frankly helps us reclaim our identity. It’s a continuous reminder of who we are in our great country. Celebrating Juneteenth is our way of recognizing our unique place in America and sharing who we are with everyone. Our motto is “Passing the Torch to a Younger Generation this year.” During this holiday, we aim to enlighten, elevate and empower.”
So, how do we celebrate? What do we do? There will be musical concerts and festivals throughout the land. There will be all-day Black movies on television. There will be special church services. There will be seminars. There will even be unique products at retail outlets. Walmart has already had pushback on the holiday ice cream they created for their shelves. The day is commonly called a day of “freedom.” Mr. Bernard Clay, the coordinator of the Austin festivities, says that Juneteenth, June 19, is a day of “celebration of a people for what they have endured, what they have gone through, and how they should come together.”
Several years ago, APAC began celebrating this holiday several years ago, under the leadership of the late Ricky Brown, who urged for this holiday and was partially responsible for advocating to get the Juneteenth holiday to the national holiday status. This year they invite people to join them on the weekend, June 18, from 10 to 5, and Sunday, June 19, from noon to 3 in Columbus Park to celebrate. The Austin Peoples Action Center has served the Austin Community for over 42 years, operating as the largest WIC center in Illinois. The APAC is a one-stop shop that helps hundreds of families monthly and promotes ways of preventing violence; for many years, State Representative LaShawn K. Ford has been a champion for violence prevention and mental health.
For example, APAC immediately responded to the urgent need to provide baby formula. They responded promptly because Cynthia Williams indicates there “was a chance that individuals would have raided groceries and pharmacies to obtain this critical nourishment for their babies.” Funding for the event is provided in whole or part by Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.
Mr. Bernard Clay states that the festivals bring ten west side organizations together on Jackson Boulevard, between Central and Menard, for 16 hours of live entertainment. The non for profits that have come together for Juneteenth include: The West Side Art Council, Small Business Development Corporation, West Side NAACP, Chicago Austin Chamber of Commerce, Introspect Youth Services Habilitative Systems, Bobby E. Wright Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center, West Side Health Authority, and Austin People of Action Center, (APAC) and The Academy of Scholastic Achievement (alternative high school.)
On Saturday, the entertainment features live performances from saxophonist and vocalist Marqueal Jordan and bands We Just Friends, Soul of Chi, and Gr8Think As.
