NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- As New York and the nation mark a week of Juneteenth celebrations, here's what to know about the history of the holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, as well as how you can mark the occasion and notable locations in the city with a history linked to slavery and the struggle for freedom.
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth, a combination of the word “June” and “Nineteenth,” marks the day in 1865 when federal troops came to Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved African Americans that they were free, and that the Civil War was officially over. This was two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
Major General Gordon Granger read aloud 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.”
This commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States is also called Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day and the second Independence Day.
The first official Juneteenth celebration took place in Texas and spread to other states over the years. It is observed with speeches, educational events, family gatherings and festivals with music, food and dancing.
On June 17th, 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
General Order No. 3 represents the federal government’s final execution and fulfillment of the terms of the Emancipation Proclamation.
The effects of this order would later be celebrated as the Juneteenth holiday.
A picture of an Emancipation Day celebration on June 19, 1900, held in the "East Woods" in Austin, Texas.
Ms. Opal Lee, known affectionately as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” was instrumental in getting congressional legislation passed to make Juneteenth the 11th federal holiday in 2021.
WAYS TO THOUGHTFULLY CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH
• Learn about the history of Juneteenth
• Watch TV shows, movies and documentaries that highlight the African American experience in the U.S.
• Visit an exhibit or museum dedicated to Black culture
• Read books written by Black authors and poets
• Experience African American culture through music
• Support Black-owned businesses
• Donate to Black causes
• Attend a Juneteenth event in your neighborhood
DID YOU KNOW?
1. Wall Street's Slave Market -- Manhattan
Wall Street is known as the leading financial center of the world, but it was also the place where the city’s first slave market was erected for the sale and rental of enslaved Africans. The slave market operated between 1711 and 1762 and stretched from Pearl Street to Water Street. Many of the great financial institutions benefited from slave labor. A small plaque commemorating the open-air slave market was dedicated at the site in 2015.
2. Seneca Village -- Manhattan
Before there was Central Park, there was Seneca Village. The community was founded in 1825 by freed Black Americans and the African Methodist Episcopal Church, who bought plots of land for development from West 82nd to West 89th streets. It was home to 225 residences, three churches, two schools and three cemeteries. It was later home to Irish and German immigrants. In 1857, Seneca Village settlers were forced to leave their homes through eminent domain to make room for the construction of Central Park.
3. Plymouth Church -- Brooklyn
Founded in 1847 in Brooklyn Heights, Plymouth Church was known as the “Grand Central Depot” of the Underground Railroad. It was the hub for antislavery sentiments, led by its first minister, abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher. Slaves from the South were secretly transported to Canada through a tunnel-like basement beneath the church sanctuary.
4. Dr. Samuel MacKenzie Elliott House -- Staten Island
Dr. Samuel MacKenzie Elliot was one of the pioneers of American ophthalmology. Elliot’s most notable mission was becoming a leader of the abolitionist movement, and he utilized his home for slaves escaping the United States. Built in 1840, the home at 69 Delafield Pl. was designated a New York City Landmark in 1967.
5. The Olde Towne of Flushing Burial Ground -- Queens
The town of Flushing purchased this site as a “pauper’s burial ground” in 1840. Over 1,000 people, primarily African Americans and Native Americans, are buried there. As a result, the cemetery underwent numerous name changes ranging from “Town Ground,” to “Pauper’s Burial Ground,’’ and even “Colored Cemetery of the Olde Towne of Flushing.”
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