Livingston Manor Free Library Director 

Juneteenth, the now federal holiday, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, annually on June 19th. It’s acknowledged under other titles such as Black Independence Day, Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day, and Juneteenth National Independence Day.  It’s one of the oldest known commemorations related to the abolition of slavery in the United States. Each June, members of the Black community and allies celebrate to honor this important day in history. 

Juneteenth memorializes the date of June 19, 1865, when enslaved people of African descent in Galveston, Texas, were finally aware of their freedom from systemic slavery in the United States. The word itself is a portmanteau using the month and the date, “June the 19th”. 

For many uninformed Americans the concept of “Juneteenth” may be new; however, this holiday has existed for decades before its federalization. Before its establishment as a county, state, or federal holiday, it’s been celebrated within communities around the nation.  At first, it was declared a state holiday in Texas in 1980, but as we progressed, Juneteenth began being acknowledged by other states. Following Texas almost decades later are Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, in recognizing Juneteenth as a state holiday.

Learning of emancipation much later

Written and signed on January 1, 1863, freedom was granted through the Emancipation Proclamation by the 15th President Abraham Lincoln. Though technically declared free, in deeply confederate states such as Texas and Oklahoma, slave owners did not attempt to tell them. Therefore, almost three years later, military intervention was needed to disassemble plantations and inform former slaves about their newfound freedom.

Since the historic day in 1865, the celebration has held particular meaning to the African American community. Juneteenth continues to be celebrated in communities through a series of parades, events, speeches, and reunions. 

Established in 2021

With the popularity of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday became a topic of discussion nationally and widely supported. Legislation later gained momentum and in June 2021, where chambers of the US Congress quickly passed a bill to federalize it with the final approval of President Biden. 

In 2021 Juneteenth became nationally recognized as a federal holiday, creating a landmark in African American history. This became the first new national holiday since Martin Luther King Jr Day was established in 1983. Juneteenth’s federal success can be credited to decades worth of advocacy and work done by black activists. In 2016, Opal Lee, now titled “the grandmother of Juneteenth” walked from Texas to Washington DC to raise awareness and encourage lawmakers. Each day she walked 2.5 miles portraying the two and a half years that it took for enslaved people in Texas to learn they had been freed.

This article was written and contributed by Angie Hund, 11th Grade, Roscoe Central School. It was originally published in the June 2023 edition of Manor Ink.

Happening in our area:  Vanessa Johnson, Syracuse-based storyteller, writer, artist, and griot will be visiting our area on Saturday, June 17 in honor of the Juneteenth holiday. 

• On October 1, 1851, the people of Syracuse broke William “Jerry” Henry out of jail. All ages are welcome to participate in an interactive storytelling experience titled, “The Jerry Rescue,” in Renaissance Park at 4:00 p.m. to dramatize this true jail-break account. In case of inclement weather, please come to the Livingston Manor Library. 

• Earlier in the day, at 1:00 p.m., developing storytellers can join Ms. Johnson for a 2-hour workshop at the Livingston Manor Library. In “What Should Not Be Forgotten, Telling our Family Stories,” participants will learn some basic storytelling skills, grab an experience from memory, and turn it into performance for family gatherings and evenings around the fireplace. Space is limited for this workshop. Please register at livingstonmanorlibrary.org/programsignup.

• To begin the day, youth of all ages can join Ms. Johnson at the Liberty Public Library at 11:00 a.m.  for “The Soft Whispers of Ancestors,” stories to celebrate the voices of those who helped end slavery.  If you listen, you can hear the voices of the ancestors from Africa and the Middle Passage, through slavery and the Underground Railroad!

These events are funded in part by the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a program of the NYS Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the NYS Legislature and administered by the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance.

The Sullivan County NAACP, along with the Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library and the Village of Monticello, will hold a parade and festival on Monday, June 19 from 11:30 am -1:00 pm. The parade, which will include marchers from the Mamakating Library, will begin at 11:30 at the Monticello Village Hall parking lot at 2 Pleasant St. and will march down Broadway in Monticello. Immediately following there will be a reception at the Ted Stroebele courtyard.