“Juneteenth” is a celebration of the day the Emancipation Proclamation came into effect in Galveston, TX. Although the American Civil War ended on April 12, 1865 when Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army Northern Virginia to Union Gen. U.S. Grant, the implementation of the provisions of Lincoln’s proclamation did not take effect all at once.

Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation issued on January 1, 1863. Most people today think Lincoln’s decree freed the slaves, but, in reality, the Emancipation Proclamation did not instantly free a single enslaved person. In fact, the proclamation only applied to places under Confederate control. The decree did not apply to the slave-holding border states nor to Confederate areas already under Union control.

The proclamation provided all enslaved people in the states currently in rebellion against the United States “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” Only the defeat of the Confederacy brought the proclamation into effect – and only in the states that had been in the so-called rebellion.

Ultimately, ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on Dec. 5, 1865 ended chattel slavery in the United States.

Juneteenth is a shortened version of “June Nineteenth.” This date in 1865 marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, TX, to take control of the state and make all enslaved people freed. “Juneteenth” is considered the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday.

U.S. General Gordon Granger stood on Texas soil and read General Order No. 3: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” General Granger’s arrival in Galveston signaled freedom for Texas’s 250,000 enslaved people. Jubilant celebrations broke out among newly freed people, and Juneteenth was born.

That tradition will continue this week with a number of activities designed to remember and celebrate the end of slavery. Beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 14, the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library is hosting “Travel Around the World.” This event will offer a wide array of multicultural games and activities for children and families.

At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 16, the public library is hosting an open forum book discussion focused on “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson. Guest moderators for the forum include Yesenia Cuello, executive director of NC FIELD; James Mumford, an elder of United American Free Will Baptist Denomination; and  Felicia Solomon, Kinston City Councilwoman. Copies of the book are available for check out at the Library. 

From 4 p.m. through 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 18, the community will join together for the “Juneteenth Community Celebration” at the African American Music Trail Park located at the corner of South Queen and Springhill streets. The program will feature local performers, artisans, businesses, and food trucks.

Sponsors for Saturday’s event include: Neuse Regional Libraries, the City of Kinston, the African American Museum and Cultural Center, Friends of the Library, Lenoir Community College, the Lenoir County Public Schools, the Kinston/Lenoir County Parks and Recreation Department, the Community Council for the Arts, Lenoir County, the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission, and the North Carolina Arts Council.

A quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has stuck with me since I first heard him utter the words:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

I hope is the celebration of freedom anywhere spurs the celebration of freedom everywhere.

Let that celebration begin here.

Mike Parker is a columnist for Neuse News. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com.