Juneteenth, A New Federal Holiday, African American History Unfolds
How more than 250,000 enslaved African Americans were kept in slavery for an additional 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation
Juneteenth, (June 19), is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, a Union General rode into Galveston, Texas with roughly 2,000 Union troops to announce that the Civil War had ended, and slaves had been freed. The Emancipation Proclamation was passed January 1, 1862, legally freeing all enslaved people in the Confederate states. Many Confederate states, namely Texas where enslaved people were not freed until two and a half years after Congress passed the 13th Amendment in 1862 signed by Abraham Lincoln.
African Americans have long celebrated Juneteenth as a day of freedom and was commemorated with parades, and other celebratory events. Even in the midst of covid, Juneteenth was not deterred as African Americans across the Country gathered with social distancing and mask celebrating a major reality part of American history and African American History, especially.
Today, history has once again been reckoned with under the Biden Administration, the House on Wednesday passed legislation designating June 19 as a new federal holiday, one day after the Senate voted unanimously to approve, 415 to 14, awaiting Biden’s signature, two days before Juneteenth celebratory day. It is the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day back in 1983.
Due to the efforts of Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), the Juneteenth bill was introduced in June 2020 after the horrific number of police killings, namely George Floyd and Breonna Taylor but was blocked by Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin because he didn’t want it to be a paid holiday for federal employees. A change of heart is good, 2021, he step away from his ideology and got out of the way for its passage but not without voicing some objections. Due to the fact that most of Congress was not interested in debating this as an issue, Johnson, stepped aside and silenced his tongue. In the words of Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), a cosponsor of the bill in the Senate validated why many Republicans chose to support, “the time couldn’t be more ripe” to send “a very clear message of reconciliation.”
There were some Republicans who had concerns that Juneteenth National Independence Day would get confused with Independence Day, July 4, and divide Americans along racial lines. Republican Rep. Matthew M. Rosendale of Montana voiced that this new federal holiday is a Democratic effort to “create a day out of whole cloth to celebrate identity politics.” “Since I believe in treating everyone equally, regardless of race, and that we should be focused on what unites us rather than our differences, I will vote no.”
In my opinion, you cannot divide was is already divided to its maximum divide. America is bursting at the seam with systemic racism, much divide and suppression in every aspect of life for all people of color. What planets are these people who objected to this holiday passage living on. This country is so divided that the law enforcement feel that are justified to kill people of color for no reason, politicians cater to the rich ideology as their pockets are being padded, millions of folks running around saying Biden is not the truly elected president, insurrectionists stormed and ravaged the capitol trying to prevent validation of the electoral votes, the former president used the justice department with the GOP approval for his personal agenda, 98% of the GOP bowed down to the their king no matter how corrupt as they kissed his ring with loyalty loosing their own identity, white supremacist, KKK and all these other conspiracy theorist comprised of politicians, law enforcement, military men caused much mayhem around the country, this list is endless.
I may ask, “ What else is there too divide that has not already been divided?” America needs a reality check in the worst way.
In conclusion, forty-nine states and the District of Columbia officially observe Juneteenth, and many hold celebrations, except South Dakota that refused to recognize it as a holiday, whereas Texas mandated it too be a paid state holiday. At least, the majority of the states are on board and that is a big plus. Thankful to have the GOP and the Democrats on board wholeheartedly. The Democratic lawmakers see this passage of Juneteenth as a national holiday as a large step and a first step in dealing with ongoing racial justice issues and efforts to pass police reform in the wake of people of color being subjected to systemic racism and mayhem.
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