By Fredrick Njuguna
United States Embassies across the world will be closed for the day as they observe Juneteenth. This federal holiday is celebrated annually on June 19th in the United States to commemorate the day when enslaved African Americans were granted their freedom.
The holiday’s name is a blend word, portmanteau, of the words “June” and “nineteenth”.
On this memorable day, Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas marking the end of the American Civil War.
Important to note that while this date symbolizes the emancipation of enslaved individuals, it initially only applied to former Confederate states.
The ratification of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution on December 6, 1865, granted freedom to all enslaved people.
Juneteenth is also recognized and celebrated in Coahuila, Mexico as the town is home to Mascogos, descendants of “Black Seminoles”- an ethnic group of mixed Native Americans and African origin- who escaped from slavery in 1852.
In 2021, Juneteenth was officially recognized as a federal holiday when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Act into law.
This makes Juneteenth the first new federal holiday since the establishment of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983, marking a span of 38 years.
Often referred to as “America’s second Independence Day,” Juneteenth holds the distinction of being considered the “longest-running African-American holiday.”