Juneteenth is coming on the 19th of this month. It’s a major holiday for African Americans, and an important one in American history past and present.
What is Juneteenth? It’s a celebration of the day Major General Gordon Granger issued the order (General Order No. 3) that all slaves in America were now free (he issued the order in Texas). Since that day, Juneteenth celebrations have been held in the U.S. in Black communities. However, Juneteenth wasn’t an official national holiday until 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Actinto law. Since then, Juneteenth awareness and the volume of celebrations have exploded.
There will be several Juneteenth events produced in the Miami Valley this month, and that’s fantastic. But…I’m curious (as always). What does Juneteenth mean to you? To you, a Black person? To you, a Brown citizen? To you, a white denizen?
If you have an answer, contact me here: grgsmmsjr@gmail.com. I’ll write an article with your replies. Until then, enjoy your Summer, and celebrate Juneteenth this year.
(Or Google and learn about it.)
