What does Juneteenth celebrate? Meaning and origins, explained

What does Juneteenth celebrate? Meaning and origins, explained
This Thursday marks 160 years since the origin of Juneteenth, which commemorates the day the last group of enslaved people found out they had been freed.
Long a holiday in the Black community and now federally recognized, the celebrations kick off each June 19, allowing people to gather, dance, reenact pivotal moments in history, and more.
Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom and opportunity, said Sam Collins, who is on the trustee board for the Rosenberg Library in Galveston, often called 'Professor Juneteenth.'
'It's not so much about slavery as it is about the freedom from slavery and what it allowed for the former enslaved people to live their lives free, to marry, to learn to read, to educate themselves, to have self agency over their bodies, to keep their families together,' he told USA TODAY on June 10.
Here's what to know about Juneteenth, how it began, and how it's celebrated today.
How did Juneteenth get its start?
Juneteenth is a commemoration of the events that took place 160 years ago in Galveston, Texas, about 57 miles southeast of Houston.
Calling it an 'often overlooked event in our nation's history,' the National Museum of African American History said Juneteenth occurred two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves in rebellious states.
That day, on June 19, 1865, Union troops freed enslaved African Americans in Galveston Bay and across Texas.
'This is American history, world history, Texas history, and most of all, Galveston history, because Galveston, Texas is the birthplace of Juneteenth,' said Collins, a seventh generation Texan.
Collins said formerly enslaved people celebrated after June 1865, but festivities died off for a while.
In 1879, politician Robert Evans introduced a bill to celebrate Black emancipation, but the bill did not garner enough support during the Jim Crow era, Collins said.
Juneteenth celebrations began to regain popularity again in the 1970s and early 1980s, after another Texas politician, Albert Ely Edwards, pushed for Juneteenth to become a state holiday, Collins said.
'There are many ancestors and elders that kept the oral history going until we made it to 2021 and it became a national holiday,' he said. 'And the truth of the matter (is that) if it wasn't for the murder of George Floyd, Juneteenth would not have become a national holiday in 2021.'
Retired teacher and educator Opal Lee, known as the 'Grandmother of Juneteenth,' started a petition to federally recognize Juneteenth in October 2019. Not many people signed, but immediately following Floyd's murder and the protests that ensued, her petition jumped significantly and garnered over 1.6 million signatures.
In June 2021, then-president Joe Biden declared June 19 a national holiday. Lee was present that day.
Upon hearing the news, Collins said he thought of all those who pushed to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, including Rev. Ronald V. Myers Sr., who founded the National Juneteenth Observers Foundation before his death in 2018.
'I wish they had lived to see it,' he said.
What do Juneteenth celebrations look like?
Today, Juneteenth has become commercialized, celebrated with Juneteenth cups and t-shirts and other memorabilia, Collins said.
Junteenth celebrations usually feature flags such as a red, white and blue flag with a star in the center, the same colors as the American flag, Collins said.
There's also the Pan African colors, or red, black and green.
For previous Juneteenth celebrations, Black people would often celebrate with whatever food and drinks were available, such as red drinks or red punch as opposed to water.
Watermelon is often enjoyed as it's easy to cut up and disperse, almost like a cake, he said. Today, there are also Juneteenth pageants, parades, and festivals with music and speeches.
Juneteenth is not in competition with the Fourth of July, 'Professor Juneteenth' says
Some people believe individuals can't celebrate both Juneteenth and the Fourth of July, but this isn't the case, Collins said.
'The Fourth of July is a freedom birthday for the country, and June 19 is a freedom birthday for the formerly enslaved,' he told USA TODAY.
He also stressed that there were people living in what is now known as the United States before 1776. When historians and community members talk about Juneteenth, it's important not to forget Indigenous people, he said.
Juneteenth also isn't just a Texas holiday, and it isn't only for Black people, he said. It's for everyone to celebrate freedom and liberty.
How is Juneteenth tied to May 5?
Collins thinks of the history of the U.S. as a salad, made up of different stories. Each date, holiday, and event helps to complete the salad, he said.
'By adding Juneteenth, the national holiday, we flavor up the history, and we expand the narrative to tell the full story of the contributions of everyone in the history of everyone in our community,' he said.
Even Cinco De Mayo is tied to Juneteenth, Collins said. On May 5, 1862, a Mexican army defeated French forces in the Battle of Puebla. French Emperor Napoleon III had plans to provide the Confederacy with guns in exchange for cotton, but the French were defeated and didn't return until about a year later in May 1863.
Some historians believe this pushback allowed then-president Abraham Lincoln's generals to win Union victories before the French could give the Confederacy 'upgraded artillery and munitions,' per History.com.
'We need to acknowledge all of this history and tell the full story,' Collins said 'The national holiday helps to repair the foundation of our American history's story.'
Contributing: Matthew Brown, Chelsey Cox, and N'dea Yancey-Bragg
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.

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