Officially known as Emancipation Day and also called Juneteenth Independence Day and Freedom Day, Juneteenth is a portmanteau word for June and nineteenth and commemorates June 19th, 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas and the emancipation of African American slaves throughout the Confederate South. This was 2 years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation proclamation in 1863.
According to the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, 46 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation to officially recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday or special day of observance. Massachusetts made it an official holiday in 2020. The U.S. Senate established June 19th as Juneteenth Independence Day on June 19th, 2015.
Learn more about Juneteenth:
Northshore Juneteenth Association: https://north-shore-juneteenth-assoc.constantcontactsites.com/
History channel video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR3WqYI6wco
New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/article/juneteenth-day-celebration.html
Resources for students: https://www.timeforkids.com/g56/celebrating-juneteenth/
Children’s Books: Juneteenth for Mazie, by Floyd Cooper
All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom, by Angela Johnson
