Today is Juneteenth,
America's newest federal holiday.
It recognizes a day very significant
to enslave people in Texas that changed
the course of American history.
Our race and culture expert,
Dr. Rosemarie Allen
joins us live this morning to
share more about the history. Dr.
Allen, thank you for being with us.
Thank you for having me.
This is really important conversation.
You and I were just talking about
the fact that so many people don't
actually know the roots of Juneteenth.
Absolutely, absolutely.
It's really amazing that in order
to really talk about Juneteenth,
which is a combination of June and 19th,
which is today,
in order to really talk about it,
we have to talk about the history of
emancipation for enslaved people.
Absolutely.
And we know in in our history
classes that Abraham Lincoln,
President Abraham Lincoln signed the
Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st,
1863. But what most people don't know is that
that executive order did not free all slaves.
It only freed the slaves
in Confederate states.
Texas was one of them.
But the Union states that
bordered those enslave states,
they the slaves were not freed.
So what happened in?
1865 June 19th,
1865 was when 250,000 enslaved
folks in Texas were actually free.
So
a lot of people want to know why
did it take so long for the slaves
in Texas to learn of this news.
Thank you so much for asking.
And a lot of people believe that the enslaved
people in Texas didn't know they were free.
That is not true at all.
They knew they were free,
but they didn't have the power nor
the agency to exercise that freedom.
You see, Texas was a state that was not being
regulated at that time by Union soldiers.
So it was considered a a safe,
safe state for slaveholders,
and some even fled those Confederate States
and brought their enslaved folks to Texas.
So while the the enslaved knew they were free
and the slaveholders knew they were free.
They actually decided to go
against the executive order,
thinking they could overturn it later.
Yes, and it wasn't until
Robert E Lee surrendered,
right before the Civil War
that General Grainger came to
Galveston and read Executive Order
number 3IN forming the Enslaves,
that they were now free.
And what we have to remember is that it
didn't take that executive order alone.
It took the power of the Union
soldiers to protect the enslaved,
to ensure that they were no longer
enslaved and could actually walk freely.
We talked about Juneteenth being
something that changed the
course of American history. Dr.
Alan, you are sitting here with me,
live talking this morning.
Without this happening,
we don't know what would be.
You know, what our country would look like.
We have no idea. In Jordan,
sometimes I talk about not only
what happened with Juneteenth,
but what followed.
The reconstruction period,
because those Union soldiers were
there and they ensure the freedom
and the rights of the enslaved.
Where would our country be
if we continued along that
route? It's true, which is why it's
so important that we actually know
the real meaning of Juneteenth and.
You know, carry it out, you know,
pass it on to future generations as well.
They continue to teach it even in
places where you can't. Absolutely.
Because it bothers me that people
celebrate this holiday that can't be
taught in some schools, in some states.
So I'm happy for Colorado.
There are many,
many celebrations going on today.
Get out and celebrate the
freedom of enslaved people
because that freedom impacts.
All of America, really quickly.
How are people going to
be celebrating today? Oh,
there are lectures.
There are. Bolton St.
has a 9th Juneteenth celebration.
There's actually a film
screening and panel discussion
at the C Theater at 6:00.
O'clock this evening,
barbecues and picnics and
celebrations all throughout Colorado.
Dr. Allen, thank you so much for
giving us that history lesson.
Incredibly important.
And something we all need to go
home and think about and you know,
kind of like we mentioned,
pass on to even younger generations as well.
Thank you so much. Thank you very.