A Juneteenth celebration in Austin, Texas, in 1900.
This image, named "Emancipation of the Negroes - the Past and the Future," was made by Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly in 1863. It "created a striking, complex image for Harper’s Weekly that celebrates the promise inherent in the proclamation. In a large central vignette, an African American family enjoy domestic tranquility around a "Union" stove while, immediately below, a baby symbolizing the New Year breaks the shackles of a kneeling slave. Scenes at left detail horrors associated with slavery–whipping, branding and the separation of families. At right, these are contrasted with future blessings–payment for work, public education, and enjoying one’s own home, goals that could only be realized if the Union won the war." -- The Met Museum.
The Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, is shown on June 17, 2020, in Galveston, Texas. The church's origins date back to 1848, when black slaves were given the land by their white owners for a place of worship. It also continues to host a Juneteenth celebration that is attended by the community.
A facsimilie of the printed copy of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation is shown on Feb. 2, 1938. The document, believed to be one of two or three similar copies in existence, was presented to the state of Illinois by an anonymous donor. A number of copies were printed after the issuance of the original proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, for sale to benefit wounded soldiers.
Photo shows the original Emancipation Proclamation on display in the Rotunda of the National Archives in Washington. President Abraham Lincoln first issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring all slaves free in Confederate territory on Sept. 22, 1862. Juneteenth, the oldest holiday that commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States, originated 155 years ago.
Celebrations have typically included parades, barbecues, concerts and readings of the Emancipation Proclamation. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
A statue depicting a man holding the state law that made Juneteenth a state holiday is shown on Wednesday, June 17, 2020, in Galveston, Texas. The inscription on the statue reads "On June 19, 1865, at the close of the Civil War, U.S. Army General Gordon Granger issued an order in Galveston stating that the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation was in effect. That event, later known as 'Juneteenth,' marked the end of slavery in Texas. Celebrated as a day of freedom since then, Juneteenth grew into an international commemoration and in 1979 became an official Texas holiday through the efforts of State Rep. Albert Edwards of Houston."
The Juneteenth flag, commemorating the day that slavery ended in the U.S., flies in Omaha, Nebraska, on Wednesday, June 17, 2020.
Raised fist and broken chains, drawing, on texture, partial graphic.
A marker outside the Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, is shown Wednesday, June 17, 2020, in Galveston, Texas. The church's origins date back to 1848, when black slaves were given the land by their white owners for a place of worship. It also continues to host a Juneteenth celebration that is attended by the community.
Associated Press
A Juneteenth celebration in Austin, Texas, in 1900.
Most of us are aware of Juneteenth, in that it exists, but there is so much history to know about the celebration. Here are a few photos to tell just a part of the story.
