Juneteenth is the oldest national celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Of course, it started in Texas! On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger read General Order #3 to the assembled people in Galveston, Texas.

The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.

So began Juneteenth, the name given to emancipation day by the Black people of Texas. While it took 100 years for Black people to be granted equality under the law, this was the first step on the road to freedom. As Black people moved to other states, the celebration of Juneteenth spread. Today, Juneteenth is celebrated in most states in the USA.

You do not have to be Black to celebrate Juneteenth. So, go out and find a celebration in which you and your family may participate. Sing a song of freedom, tell the story of the Underground Railroad, visit a local Black History museum or exhibit, visit the frontier forts where Buffalo Soldiers served their country, remember the Tuskegee Airmen . . .

Always remember that NONE of us are free until ALL of us are free.

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