![]() Given the legality of enslaving people for “the punishment of a crime,” we are now living in an era of mass incarceration where Black people are being criminalized, imprisoned and thus enslaved at troubling rates. This amendment outlawed slavery with one key exception for “the punishment of a crime.” Because of this exception and systemic racism, Black people in the United States are still dealing with what Michelle Alexander describes as The New Jim Crow. Six months after Texan enslaved people were notified that the war was over, the 13th amendment was ratified. This day, for us, commemorates the struggles of our Black ancestors and everything they did on their journey to freedom. Now, each year on June 19th, Black folks come together to celebrate Juneteenth, or Emancipation Day. It wasn’t until June 19th, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, that enslaved people in Texas were informed that they were free. It took two more years for the Civil War to end and then two more months of delays due to Texas farmers wanting one more harvest out of enslaved people. ![]() Learn more about the many contributions of Black soldiers during the Civil War This effort on Lincoln’s part was not made for moral reasons, but rather as an attempt to end the war and keep the Union intact. The Emancipation Proclamation wasn’t signed by Lincoln until 1863 and a common misconception is that this document ended all chattel slavery, but it only served to free enslaved people in areas that were still in rebellion during the Civil War. First and foremost, there were many slave rebellions and multiple coordinated efforts to free enslaved people throughout the antebellum years. Read more and listen to Public Enemy's "By the Time I Get to Arizona"Ībraham Lincoln is often credited as freeing enslaved people through his signing of The Emancipation Proclamation, but really enslaved people freed themselves. holiday to be designated as a National Day of Service. The final state to ratify the holiday did not do so until the year 2000. In response, the rap group Public Enemy put out the song By the Time I Get to Arizona in protest of the Arizona governor’s vehement opposition to recognizing MLK Day. In 1986, when the day was first celebrated, only 17 states had adopted the holiday. The next hurdle was getting state ratification. However, it narrowly passed, and afterwards, many senators pushed back. ![]() Listen to the Stevie Wonder tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr, "Happy Birthday" Later, Stevie Wonder created the song Happy Birthday to advocate for federal recognition of MLK Day and because of this influence, and many other factors, the House finally passed the measure in 1983. The matter wasn’t voted on for another 11 years and, at that time, it failed to pass. Congressman John Conyers first suggested making this day a holiday in 1968. Day in the 1980s, and this accomplishment did not come easily or quickly. ![]() Though it took a lot of time to get federally recognized, Juneteenth deserves the same national reverence.īefore Juneteenth, the last time a new federal holiday was declared was, in fact, Martin Luther King, Jr. This was historic, given that it is one of only two federal holidays with a direct connection to Black history, with the first being Martin Luther King, Jr. In response, President Biden gave federal acknowledgment to a Black holiday known as Juneteenth. Given some of the national spotlights that were shone on racial disparities, a heightened awareness of the inaccuracy of that belief increased. This year, we at the American Forest Foundation recognize and honor Juneteenth by outlining the history behind the day before it became a federal holiday, how it connects to generations of Black landownership and how one can and should engage with the day.īefore 2020, many people in the United States believed that we had entered into a post-racial society. If Juneteenth has recently come to your consciousness, you may be wondering what this holiday is about and why it’s relevant.
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