The capitol of the Confederate States of America was occupied by Union troops, and Jefferson Davis sat in a prison cell. But in the spring of 1865, 250,000 Texans were still slaves. Not until the arrival in Galveston of General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, was every Texan free. The general stood on a high balcony at the former headquarters of the Texas Confederate Army and read aloud these words: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” The streets of Galveston filled with people who spent the night “singing and shouting,” as former slave Pierce Harper later remembered.
The following year was a trying one. Newly freed slaves were forced to work by local governments and faced daily violence. Slave owners used every trick they could to delay freedom. The U.S. Army came in to enforce the new law. Nevertheless, the now-free black Texans showed their resilience and hope by turning out to celebrate the first Juneteenth in huge numbers. They gathered around the state to read aloud from the Emancipation Proclamation, play games and sing songs such as “Go Down, Moses” and “Many Thousands Gone.” There were even fireworks jury-rigged by pouring gunpowder into small holes in trees and lighting the trees on fire. An 1867 parade in Austin caused the popularity of Juneteenth to soar. These gatherings launched a Texas tradition that has since spread across the country.
During the late 19th century, Juneteenth continued to grow. In the face of state-sponsored segregation, the Houston African-American community, led by Reverend Jack Yates, pooled their money to purchase a downtown park. Emancipation Park was established as a place of their own for Juneteenth celebrations. Similar acquisitions of land happened in Austin and other cities. Parades became a Juneteenth fixture that continues to this day.
Establishing Juneteenth wasn’t just about getting together to celebrate. The holiday was an important symbol of freedom and self-improvement. Historian Elizabeth Turner Hayes argues that Juneteenth celebrations “took on broader implications for citizenship.” In addition to the revelry, they discussed voting rights and participation in the political process.
But Juneteenth was never free from siege. In the 20th century, Jim Crow laws took hold in Texas, stifling celebrations. The Great Depression shifted black populations into the cities. Those who found work were often unable to get time off in order to attend Juneteenth parties. In the cities, finding available space posed another challenge. The day began to fade from popularity. Many whites and even some blacks saw Juneteenth as an unwelcome focus on a dark period in U.S. history. They labeled it as unpatriotic and disloyal to the country.
The first return to glory for Juneteenth came about in the years leading up to World War II. Texas planned to host the 1936 Centennial Exposition, a world’s fair that would go on to attract 6,353,827 visitors. Antonio Maceo Smith, part of the Dallas Negro Chamber of Commerce, pushed for the creation of an exhibit of black achievement at the fair. The fair organizers refused to fund the exhibit. Smith turned to the federal government and secured a $100,000 grant. The money was used to build the Hall of Negro Life, dedicated on June 19, 1936. The Juneteenth celebration that day was called “the most important celebration of Black life in the state’s history” by historian Shennette Garrett- Scott of the University of Mississippi.
The Civil Rights Era completed the task of bringing Juneteenth back to the forefront of black cultural life. By the 1960s, black Texans had migrated away from the South to places like Los Angeles, Detroit and other cities. When they moved, they brought Juneteenth with them. Civil rights leader Rev. Ralph Abernathy oversaw the Poor People’s March on Washington in 1968. The marchers established “Resurrection City” on the National Mall. The tent city was a temporary home to over 3,000 people that May and June. As they camped, fighting for economic justice, a representative from Texas suggested a Juneteenth celebration be held. Many there had never heard the word. The smells of barbecue and the sounds of the blues filled the city. Two days later, a police raid ended the occupation. Dr. William Wiggins Jr., professor of Folklore at Indiana University and author of Jubilation: African-American Celebrations in the Southeast, theorized that the timing of the police raid caused the Juneteenth party to feel more significant, because the party was the last fond memory of those summer days on the National Mall.
The people of Resurrection City returned to their homes across the country with Juneteenth on their minds. The Chicago Defender, an important weekly newspaper for African Americans, suggested in an editorial that Juneteenth should be a regular celebration.
The 1970s saw Juneteenth continue to flourish. Houston held a blues festival in 1973 at Hermann Park. It was the first large-scale Juneteenth celebration in a Texas city in decades. State Representative Al Edwards of Houston introduced a 1979 bill that made Juneteenth a state holiday. Texas led the way again, and today almost every state recognizes Juneteenth as an official state holiday.
For 150 years, Juneteenth has played an important role in Texas history. This June, everyone in Texas should make a point of joining one of these remarkable celebrations.
