[Music]
we explain the history of juneteenth
on january 1st 1863 president abraham
lincoln issued the emancipation
proclamation abolishing slavery but it
would take more than two and a half
years for freedom to reach
every state some say this was because
news was slow to spread
others say that the information was
withheld from slaves
and others say that in some states there
weren't enough union soldiers
to enforce the order
finally on june 19 1865
major general gordon granger arrived in
galveston texas
and announced that the civil war had
ended and the more than 250
000 remaining enslaved people were now
free
resulting in massive celebrations
the following year on june 19th the
first official
juneteenth celebrations took place in
texas the newly freed african americans
celebrated by dressing up nicely
something they were not allowed to do as
slaves
and singing spirituals dancing and
reading the emancipation proclamation
aloud
even though african americans did not
receive the same liberties as others
they and their descendants continued the
celebration every year
and as they migrated from texas to other
parts of the country
the juneteenth tradition spread within a
few years
it became an annual tradition in many
states
finally in 1980 texas declared
juneteenth
a state holiday with 46 more states
soon to follow their lead
today juneteenth is celebrated by many
with family gatherings
festivals and even parades it's a day
when all americans can celebrate the
beginning of freedom for
african americans celebrate their
culture and achievements
and speak out about the progress left to
be made