“For years
We walked that narrow road.
Bound to land,
with ropes and chains.
Our heads hung down,
Worked through and through,
No word when freedom came.”
My paternal great-great-grandparents were born in 1857 and 1862, respectively. For them, life began at a time when Black and African people were still enslaved in the then United States of America. I am fortunate that census records provided me with a road map to one branch of my family tree pre-Emancipation, but it also heightened my awareness that my not-so-distant relatives were not that far removed from captivity. By the time Jefferson, my paternal great-great-grandfather was born in 1857, the United States Supreme Court had made the ruling in the Dred Scott case that slaves who resided in free states where slavery was not allowed were STILL not entitled to freedom. So even if my family had escaped with my great-great-grandfather in tow to one of the states that frowned upon slavery, as for the laws of the country, had they been the property of a slaveowner they would still be considered void of freedom on free land. As for my parental great-great-grandmother Viney, she was born in 1862, a mere few months prior to the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation proclaimed that “all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforth shall be free.” The Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery everywhere; it was merely a contradiction of rights for those who lived in many southern states, including those states where my family hails from. The origins of my family are well rooted in the red clay dirt of Louisiana, with branches bearing fruit deep into the heart of what is known as Texas. There was no indication available to my ancestors when freedom came, despite the declaration made by then-President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. As far as they were concerned the laws of the land had escaped them and thousands of others residing in Texas. Slave owners in that State-operated business as usual and saw an uptick of slave owners from other states flocking there to still be afforded the right to own and wholeheartedly use their slaves for free labor.
“Emancipation and liberation,
Words to us
That meant no-thing.
Until the day
Good news was heard,
Jubilee on June 19th!”
Texas heat has no boundary, and the summertime can be extremely brutal. For the approximately 250,000 enslaved men, women, and children residing there working the land, I imagine the conditions were almost unbearable. While freed slaves in other states were navigating the new challenges of their freedom, those in Texas were still hard at work for several years to come. The Emancipation Proclamation hardly made an impact on the lives of these unfortunate souls in Texas. Whether out of convenience or ignorance, or the greedy desire to survive one more harvest with the help of their chattel, slave owners in Texas did not widely spread the news that slavery was no longer legal in the United States of America. Occupancy by Union soldiers was sparse in Texas, and with it being the farthest away of slave owning states there were oftentimes delays in communication. Then something occurred that would change the trajectory of their collective existences as they all knew it. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived on the shores of Galveston Island, Texas bearing important news. General Granger of the Union Army, shared the announcement of General Order No. 3 with those on the island which brought news of the Emancipation Proclamation to the masses in Texas, allotting freedom to all enslaved persons in the State of Texas. The order also instructed those newly freed individuals to remain quiet at their plantations and to continue to stay there to work for wages. Amongst other instructions, the order dictated where the newly freed were not to gather and warned that they would not be supported in idleness. The order though not lengthy spoke volumes as to the rights or lack thereof that newly freed persons would be afforded. Though filled with nuance it still brought word of freedom, and for those approximately 250,000 individuals news of freedom was worthy of celebration despite the various restrictions that would come with it.
“Free as birds
With clipped wings to fly,
As we sang a freedom song.
Glory to glory
And hallelujah be,
For at last our freedom has come.”
The newly freed slaves were overcome with joy when they heard word that they were no longer bound to their former lives. The crowd that was privy to the reading of General Order No. 3 instantly began to rejoice and celebrate in the streets, and rightfully so. Years of brutality and captivity were presumed over, and that announcement was a reason to be glad. June 19th was the day that freedom came to Texas. Although it would take further amendment to the constitution to truly effectuate change, Juneteenth, as it came to be known, was an important occasion. Various celebrations occurred throughout Galveston, with churches being the focal point for the newly freedmen to commemorate their triumph. Celebrating that fateful day became commonplace in Texas, with June 19, 1866, being the first-anniversary commemorating freedom. Those celebrations began to spread throughout the state with various communities deciding to host events and gatherings. From Galveston to Austin, the date that freedom came to Texas became of important significance to African Americans in the region. Since many of the newly freed slaves packed up their few belongings and left Texas in hopes of finding relatives they had been separated from, the relevance of Juneteenth went with them. Other communities in the South began to host their own celebrations and made great efforts to keep the tradition of recognizing the day freedom came alive. Through the decades the way the occasion was recognized evolved into grand celebrations including parades, pageants, large family reunions, and community events. In 1980, Juneteenth became recognized as a state holiday in Texas, with several other Southern states also proclaiming it a recognized state holiday.
“Where were you,
When freedom came?
In the fields or in the barn.
No matter where your day began,
By sundown
our freedom had come.”
For myself, and thousands of others it is important to recognize the date that Texas slaves learned of their independence. It announces a major turning point in not only Black history but all-American history. It set forth a chain reaction of events that began to separate America from its’ once bloodied past. It gave hope to the masses that all their hard work and sacrifice had not all been in vain. For the slaves who literally gave their all, sacrificed their culture, and built this country it marked the beginning of a new existence. An existence where they were no longer property but actual people. For the many abolitionists, and Northerners who fought for change it showed that there was strength in numbers and that the true core reasons this country had been founded would not be lost to White capitalist greed and evil. For the thousands of Black Americans living in this country, Juneteenth represents a liberation that is not too far removed from the past. And for ALL Americans, it represents a moment in our country’s history that proved that our forefathers did indeed possess some inklings of humanity. Despite the advances that still need to be made in our country, Juneteenth is a reminder that further change is not inevitable. It represents possibility, and it also represents opportunity for improvement.
“I celebrate my freedom,
And every sacrifice my ancestors made.
Their strength and perseverance,
Every debt that has been paid.
For them I will move mountains,
To make everything right
Where they were wronged.
And celebrate our freedom,
on this land that is now
Our home.”
There are many ways to commemorate the date that freedom came to Texas. As for me, I hope to find myself in the heart of the historically Black Third Ward in Houston, Texas right across the street from Emancipation Park which started out as a 10-acre parcel of land bought by Richard Allen, Robert Brock, Jack Yates, and Elias Dibble for $800 in 1872. Emancipation Park was purchased specifically to house celebrations for Juneteenth and has a storied history all its own as it once served as the only park in Houston, Texas where African Americans could gather to hear music, play, and hold events. There will be numerous opportunities to congregate amongst the masses and celebrate unapologetically the many strides our people had to make for us to have the lives we live today. Black businesses will be put on display with an assortment of goods for sale. Food will be plentiful, and a sense of community will have a stronghold over everyone and everything. In cities across America there will be parades, festivals, and concerts all rejoicing jubilee. It is an occasion for us all to reflect on the past, and for me to enjoy the fruits of Jefferson and Viney’s labor that I am fortunate enough to now benefit from. Juneteenth is not solely a Black American holiday, it is a holiday for every person in our country. As such we should all use it to acknowledge the end of an oppressive era in the United States, and let it be a catalyst for us to continue making strides toward freedom in our country.
Happy Juneteenth!!
