122 Fun Facts About Juneteenth

Before the name Juneteenth caught on, what did Texas freedmen call their June 19 commemoration?

Early Texas freedmen called June 19 Jubilee Day; the first annual commemoration was organized in 1866, a year after the Galveston announcement.

Roughly how many federal troops had landed in Texas when the Union commander reached Galveston in June 1865?

Granger landed at Galveston in June 1865 with more than 2,000 federal troops to occupy Texas, enforce emancipation and nullify the Confederate legislature's wartime laws.

Which U.S. general arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, to announce the freedom of enslaved people?

Major General Gordon Granger and his Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, and issued General Order No. 3, declaring all enslaved people free.

How long after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect did the 1865 Galveston announcement come?

General Order No. 3, read in Galveston on June 19, 1865, came 900 days, nearly two and a half years, after Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation took effect.

Juneteenth is a portmanteau of which two words?

Juneteenth blends June and nineteenth, the date in 1865 when General Order No. 3 announced emancipation in Galveston, Texas.

In what year did Juneteenth become a federal holiday in the United States?

The 2021 bill cleared both chambers of Congress in mid-June and was signed into law the same week, so federal workers observed the new holiday days later.

Which U.S. President signed the bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday?

Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth federal holiday bill in June 2021 with Opal Lee at his side, and federal employees observed the new holiday that same week.

Before Juneteenth, what was the most recent federal holiday established in the United States?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, honouring the civil rights leader born in 1929, was the last federal holiday created before Juneteenth; nearly four decades separated the two.

Which color is traditional at Juneteenth celebrations, especially in food and drink?

Red is the signature Juneteenth colour; red foods and drinks fill celebration tables as a symbol of resilience and of the blood shed by the enslaved.

Whose posthumously published 1999 novel, titled Juneteenth, boosted recognition of the holiday?

Ralph Ellison's second novel, Juneteenth, was assembled from his unfinished manuscripts and published in 1999, five years after his death.

Why did the Emancipation Proclamation not immediately free all enslaved people in Texas?

Enforcement generally relied on the advance of Union troops, and their presence in Texas was low as the war ended.

Which activist, the 'grandmother of Juneteenth', led walks for decades to make it a federal holiday?

Opal Lee, a retired Fort Worth teacher, campaigned for years for the holiday and stood beside President Biden when the bill was signed in 2021.

The first Juneteenth celebrations, from 1866, were mainly organized around what type of gatherings?

Early Juneteenth celebrations, dating back to 1866, at first involved church-centered community gatherings in Texas.

Roughly how many of the 4,000,000 enslaved people in the US did the Emancipation Proclamation apply to?

More than 3.5 million, as a war measure that also opened the way for Black men to enlist in the Union army.

When was the Emancipation Proclamation officially issued by President Abraham Lincoln?

President Abraham Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.

Which major event in American history led to the spread of Juneteenth celebrations beyond Texas?

As Black people migrated from Texas to other parts of the country during the Great Migration, they brought Juneteenth traditions with them, spreading the celebration.

By what vote did the House pass the 2021 Juneteenth federal holiday bill?

The House passed the bill 415-14 on June 16, 2021; all 14 no votes came from Republicans.

Which of these drinks is traditionally served, along with other red foods, at Juneteenth celebrations?

Strawberry soda is the classic Juneteenth drink, served alongside other red foods; the colour stands for resilience and the blood shed by enslaved ancestors.

Texas's Juneteenth state holiday officially took effect on January 1 of which year?

Texas's law making Juneteenth a paid state holiday took effect on January 1, 1980; Texas was the first state to recognise the date by statute.

Which of these was a pastime of early Juneteenth celebrations, alongside baseball and fishing?

Rodeos were a fixture of early Juneteenth gatherings alongside baseball, fishing and cookouts; historian Mitch Kachun says such celebrations aim to celebrate, educate and agitate.

Which of these phrases is sometimes used to describe Juneteenth's significance for Black Americans?

Juneteenth is often called America's second Independence Day, marking June 19, 1865, when General Order No. 3 announced freedom in Texas.

The preliminary Emancipation Proclamation was issued in what month of 1862?

President Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862.

Early Juneteenth celebrations were characterized by elaborate large meals and people wearing what?

Freed people dressed in their best clothing for early Juneteenth gatherings, alongside elaborate meals and pilgrimages to Galveston, where the announcement was first made.

In which Texas city was Emancipation Park founded in 1872 for Juneteenth celebrations?

Emancipation Park was established in Houston in 1872 after Black leaders raised funds to purchase land specifically for Juneteenth celebrations.

What often-red beverage with West African origins is a traditional part of Juneteenth celebrations?

Hibiscus tea, brewed from dried flowers West Africans call bissap, is a Juneteenth staple; descendants of the enslaved in the Caribbean know the drink as sorrel.

General Order No. 3 said former masters and slaves would relate as whom?

The order declared the connection between former masters and slaves 'becomes that between employer and hired labor', told freedmen to stay home and work for wages, and warned against idleness.

Which state kept slavery past Juneteenth, until the 13th Amendment's ratification?

Delaware rejected the 13th Amendment in February 1865 and kept slavery legal until the amendment's ratification that December ended it.

In the early 20th century, which of these contributed to a decline in Juneteenth celebrations?

The Great Depression pushed Black families off farms into cities where employers rarely gave June 19 off, and Jim Crow disenfranchisement further marginalised the celebrations.

In 1968 the SCLC made June 19 the 'Solidarity Day' of which mobilisation to Washington, DC?

The Poor People's Campaign, planned by Martin Luther King Jr. and carried on by Ralph Abernathy after his death, held its Solidarity Day rally in Washington on June 19, 1968.

In which year was the date 'June 19, 1865' added to the Juneteenth flag design?

The date June 19, 1865 was added to the flag in 2007; the flag itself dates from 1997 and was first flown at Boston's Roxbury Heritage State Park in 2000.

The Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863 primarily applied to enslaved people in which areas?

Confederate states in rebellion and not yet in Union hands; Lincoln issued it on January 1, 1863, leaving the border states untouched.

What genre of music is often featured in Juneteenth commemorations?

Blues festivals have been a part of Juneteenth remembrance, alongside other forms of public entertainment and music.

In which city did leaders meet at Christian Unity Baptist Church in 1994 to promote Juneteenth?

Community leaders met at New Orleans's Christian Unity Baptist Church in 1994 to organise a wider national celebration, part of a 1990s revival that carried Juneteenth well beyond Texas.

What outdoor-cooked meal is a common feature of Juneteenth celebrations?

Barbecues are a widely recognized tradition during Juneteenth celebrations, bringing families and communities together over food.

In 1936, an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people joined a Juneteenth celebration in which Texas city?

Dallas drew 150,000 to 200,000 Juneteenth celebrants in 1936, when the Texas Centennial Exposition at Fair Park featured a Hall of Negro Life.

Which Limestone County, Texas, site was established in 1898 for Juneteenth celebrations?

Booker T. Washington Park near Mexia, also known as Comanche Crossing, opened in 1898 and drew an estimated 30,000 Black Texans to its Juneteenth celebrations.

On what date in 1865 did the Confederate Army of the Trans-Mississippi formally surrender?

June 2, 1865; Lee had surrendered at Appomattox nearly two months earlier, but the western army held out.

Early Juneteenth celebrations in Texas doubled as political rallies to give newly freed people what?

Early Juneteenth gatherings doubled as political rallies where newly freed people received voting instructions ahead of Reconstruction-era elections.

Which senator blocked the Juneteenth holiday bill in 2020 before relenting in 2021?

Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson single-handedly held up the Juneteenth bill in 2020, citing the cost of another paid day off for federal workers; he dropped his objection in June 2021.

By what name is New Year's Eve 1862, when Black congregations awaited the Emancipation Proclamation, remembered?

December 31, 1862 is remembered as Freedom's Eve, when Black congregations gathered in Watch Night services awaiting the proclamation that took effect at midnight.

Which social network's CEO announced in June 2020 that Juneteenth would be a paid company holiday?

Jack Dorsey announced on June 9, 2020 that Twitter and Square would observe Juneteenth as a permanent company holiday in the United States.

Governor James Allred's 1938 proclamation set aside June 20 for the observance of what in Texas?

Allred's proclamation named June 20, 1938 Emancipation Day in Texas, the first formal state recognition of the observance, decades before the legislature created a holiday.

Which pageant is a staple of June 19 celebrations, alongside rodeos and cookouts?

Miss Juneteenth contests sit alongside street fairs, park parties, blues festivals and historical reenactments.

Enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation was slow in Texas partly because, within the Confederacy, it was what?

Texas was the most remote Confederate state, with few Union troops; slaveholders from the east had moved there with enslaved people to escape the fighting, expanding slavery during the war.

What is the full official name of the federal holiday observed on June 19th?

The official name of the federal holiday is Juneteenth National Independence Day.

The day was first celebrated in Austin in 1867 under the auspices of which federal agency?

By 1872 the day was listed on a calendar of public events.

What specific item of red food is often seen as a traditional dessert during Juneteenth celebrations?

Red velvet cake is among the traditional red foods served during Juneteenth celebrations, symbolizing resilience and joy.

Alongside slavery, the 13th Amendment's opening clause also prohibits what?

Section 1 reads 'Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude... shall exist within the United States', barring both practices anywhere under US jurisdiction.

General Order No. 3, read out in Galveston, opened by informing the people of Texas of what?

'That all slaves are free', citing a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, is how the order begins.

The Juneteenth flag uses which colour scheme?

The Juneteenth flag is red, white and blue, a deliberate echo of the US flag asserting that the people it honours were, and are, Americans.

The 'grandmother of Juneteenth' walked 2.5 miles each year to represent what?

Opal Lee's 2.5-mile walks stand for the years freedom was delayed: the two and a half years between the Emancipation Proclamation and its enforcement in Texas on June 19, 1865.

What shape sits at the centre of the Juneteenth flag?

A five-pointed star sits at the flag's centre, a nod both to the Lone Star State, where the order was read, and to freedom across all fifty states.

On what day of the week did June 19 fall in 2021, the first federal Juneteenth?

June 19, 2021 was a Saturday, so federal employees observed the first Juneteenth holiday on Friday, June 18.

On what date was the legislation making Juneteenth a federal holiday signed into law?

President Biden signed the bill on June 17, 2021, two days before the date itself, and federal employees observed the holiday on Friday, June 18.

Roughly how many people were still enslaved in Texas when freedom was announced there in 1865?

About 250,000 people were still enslaved in Texas in June 1865; the state had become a refuge for slaveholders moving people west, beyond the reach of Union forces.

The National Archives describes Juneteenth as the oldest known celebration commemorating what?

The end of slavery in the US; commemorations began in Texas within a year and spread with the people who left the state.

Which honour did the 'grandmother of Juneteenth' receive from the president in 2024?

Opal Lee received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Biden in May 2024, three years after the holiday she campaigned for became law.

How much land did the founders of Texas's Emancipation Park originally buy in 1872?

The founders bought 10 acres in Houston's Third Ward in 1872 for Juneteenth celebrations, grounds that marked their 150th anniversary in 2022.

By the end of the Civil War, roughly how many Black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union?

About 200,000 Black men, roughly 179,000 soldiers and 19,000 sailors, served the Union after the Emancipation Proclamation opened the way for their enlistment.

Which Pulitzer-winning historian published the 2021 essay collection On Juneteenth?

Annette Gordon-Reed, a Texas native who won the Pulitzer for The Hemingses of Monticello, published On Juneteenth in 2021, weaving state history with memoir.

The 13th Amendment's ban carries exactly one exception. What is it?

The clause applies where a person has been duly convicted, and its consequences for prison labour are still debated.

Besides the loyal slave states, what else did the Emancipation Proclamation expressly leave out?

The proclamation expressly exempted areas already under Union control, such as New Orleans and surrounding parishes and named counties in Virginia, limiting its reach to places in rebellion.

Who designed the Juneteenth flag in 1997?

Activist Ben Haith, known as Boston Ben, designed the flag in 1997 with illustrator Lisa Jeanne Graf; he wanted a banner that read instantly as American.

Which minister was among the four men who bought the Emancipation Park land in 1872?

Rev. Jack Yates, a formerly enslaved Baptist pastor of Houston's Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, led the fundraising with Richard Allen, Richard Brock and Elias Dibble.

Which Texas governor signed the state's Juneteenth holiday bill into law?

William P. Clements Jr., the first Republican governor of Texas since Reconstruction, signed the Juneteenth holiday bill in 1979, during his first term.

The 2021 federal holiday act worked by amending which title of the United States Code?

The act amended Title 5, which governs federal employees, adding 'Juneteenth National Independence Day, June 19' to the list of legal public holidays in section 6103(a).

The activist who walked from Fort Worth toward Washington for the holiday was how old at the start?

Opal Lee was 89 when she set out from Fort Worth in September 2016; she reached Washington the following January, and the bill was signed when she was 94.

What command had the general who read the Galveston order been given nine days earlier?

Granger was assigned command of the District of Texas on June 10, 1865, and reached Galveston with Union troops the following week.

Ratifying the 13th Amendment in 1865 required the approval of how many states?

Three-quarters of the 36 states then in the Union, 27, were needed; Georgia's vote in December 1865 completed ratification.

Which measure, authored by Representative Al Edwards, made 19 June a state-paid holiday in Texas?

House Bill 1016, carried by Houston Democrat Al Edwards, created the paid state holiday in 1979; Edwards served in the Texas House for about three decades.

Historians say the order was read not at Ashton Villa but where in Galveston?

Union headquarters stood on Strand Street and has since been demolished; no evidence supports the Ashton Villa story.

Which chamber of Congress passed the 2021 Juneteenth holiday bill unanimously?

The Senate acted on June 15, 2021, and the House followed the next day with 14 votes against.

Which state was the last to recognize Juneteenth as an annual state holiday or observance?

South Dakota was the last holdout: Governor Kristi Noem had proclaimed the day for 2020 only, and permanent annual recognition came in February 2022.

Which state became the 49th to recognize Juneteenth, on June 16, 2021?

Hawaii acted on June 16, 2021, the same day the federal bill passed the House; North Dakota had approved recognition two months earlier.

Which sitcom's 2017 Juneteenth episode had musical numbers by The Roots and Aloe Blacc?

Black-ish opened its fourth season in October 2017 with a Schoolhouse Rock-style Juneteenth musical featuring The Roots and Aloe Blacc.

Which congresswoman sponsored the first federal Juneteenth bill, in 1996?

Barbara-Rose Collins, a Detroit Democrat, introduced the first House resolution recognizing 'Juneteenth Independence Day' in 1996, 25 years before the holiday became law.

Which two songs are traditionally sung at Juneteenth gatherings, per common tradition?

Gatherings traditionally sing Swing Low, Sweet Chariot and Lift Every Voice and Sing, alongside readings of the Emancipation Proclamation and works by Ralph Ellison and Maya Angelou.

Which two Midwestern cities saw large Juneteenth celebrations emerge in the revival era?

Minneapolis and Milwaukee have hosted large Juneteenth festivals since the 1970s; Milwaukee's, begun in 1971, is among the oldest and biggest outside Texas.

Which Secretary of State countersigned the Emancipation Proclamation with Lincoln?

Secretary of State William H. Seward countersigned the Emancipation Proclamation with Lincoln on January 1, 1863; the document carries both men's signatures.

Ashton Villa, linked by legend to Juneteenth, was built in 1859 for which merchant?

James Moreau Brown, a wealthy hardware merchant, built Ashton Villa in 1859, one of the first brick houses in Texas, using enslaved labour and European craftsmen.

Gordon Granger is best remembered militarily for his role in which 1863 battle?

Commanding the Reserve Corps, he helped George Thomas earn the nickname 'Rock of Chickamauga'.

In which state was Gordon Granger born?

Granger was born in Joy, Wayne County, New York, in 1821 and graduated from West Point in 1845.

Where did Gordon Granger die in 1876?

Granger died in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on January 10, 1876, while commanding the District of New Mexico; he is buried in Lexington Cemetery, Kentucky.

During the Battle of Mobile Bay, Granger's land forces captured which two strongholds?

The 1864 operation worked in tandem with Admiral Farragut's naval assault.

Where in Texas was Opal Lee born in 1926?

Opal Lee was born in Marshall, in East Texas, on October 7, 1926; her family moved to Fort Worth when she was about ten.

What happened to Opal Lee's family home in Fort Worth on June 19, 1939?

On June 19, 1939, a mob of some 500 white rioters burned down the house her parents had bought in a mostly white Fort Worth neighbourhood; Opal Lee was twelve.

Roughly how many signatures did Opal Lee's Change.org holiday petition gather?

Opal Lee's Change.org petition for a federal Juneteenth holiday had gathered about 1.6 million signatures by the time the bill passed in June 2021.

Where did Opal Lee earn her elementary education degree in 1952?

Opal Lee earned her elementary education degree from Wiley College in Marshall in 1952 and went on to teach and counsel in Fort Worth schools.

Officially, the Emancipation Proclamation carries which number?

The final Emancipation Proclamation is officially Proclamation 95; the preliminary version of September 22, 1862 was Proclamation 93.

Which seceded state was omitted from the Emancipation Proclamation due to its Union-run government?

Tennessee was omitted in full because a Union military government had already been running the state from Nashville since 1862.

Under what authority did Lincoln say he issued the Emancipation Proclamation?

Lincoln invoked his power 'as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy', calling the proclamation 'a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing said rebellion'.

Which singer released the song Black Parade on Juneteenth 2020?

Beyoncé released Black Parade on June 19, 2020, timing it to Juneteenth; the song went on to win the Grammy for Best R&B Performance in 2021.

On what date was the 13th Amendment ratified by the required 27 states?

It was proclaimed on December 18; the House had passed it on January 31, 1865.

Which state ratified the 13th Amendment in 1995 but only certified it in 2013?

Mississippi's legislature ratified in 1995 but never sent the paperwork to the Federal Register until 2013, completing ratification by every state that existed in 1865.

Which president urged Alabama, North Carolina and Georgia to ratify the 13th Amendment?

President Andrew Johnson pressed the provisional governments of Alabama, North Carolina and Georgia to ratify in late 1865, and their votes reached the required 27 states.

Which institution found the original handwritten General Order No. 3 in its holdings in 2020?

Archivists at the National Archives located the original handwritten record of General Order No. 3 in its Washington holdings in June 2020, 155 years after Granger issued it.

Which pirate ran Galveston as a 'kingdom' he called Campeche until 1821?

The US Navy forced Lafitte and his raiders off the island in 1821.

The 1900 Galveston hurricane holds what grim distinction in US history?

With an estimated 6,000 to 12,000 deaths, the 1900 Galveston storm is the deadliest natural disaster in US history.

Which Christian founder introduced Watch Night services to the English-speaking world?

Wesley learned the custom from the Moravian Brethren; Black congregations kept 'Freedom's Eve' in 1862.

Washington, D.C. observes Emancipation Day on which date?

Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act on April 16, 1862, nine months before the Emancipation Proclamation took effect.

Roughly how many people did the 1862 DC Compensated Emancipation Act free?

The act freed about 3,100 people in the District, paying loyal owners up to $300 each, the only case of the federal government compensating former slaveholders.

Florida observes a ceremonial emancipation day on which date?

Florida marks May 20, the day in 1865 when Union General Edward McCook read the Emancipation Proclamation in Tallahassee.

Hopkinsville and Paducah, Kentucky, celebrate emancipation on which date?

The Eighth of August tradition is linked to Andrew Johnson freeing his own slaves.

Who wrote the lyrics of 'Lift Every Voice and Sing', often sung at Juneteenth events?

James Weldon Johnson wrote the words in 1900 and his brother J. Rosamond Johnson set them to music; the NAACP later adopted it as the 'Negro national anthem'.

'Lift Every Voice and Sing' was written to commemorate whose birthday?

Johnson wrote it for a February 12, 1900 celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, first recited by 500 students at Jacksonville's Stanton School.

The Civil War's last land battle, weeks before Juneteenth, was fought near which city?

Palmito Ranch, fought May 12-13, 1865 on the Rio Grande a few miles east of Brownsville, was the war's last land battle.

Which side won the Battle of Palmito Ranch in May 1865?

The Confederacy won under Colonel John 'Rip' Ford; Private John J. Williams of the 34th Indiana, killed there, is thought to be the war's last battle death.

Who directed the 2020 film Miss Juneteenth?

Channing Godfrey Peoples wrote and directed Miss Juneteenth, her debut feature; Nicole Beharie won a Gotham Award for Best Actress as former pageant winner Turquoise Jones.

At which festival did Miss Juneteenth premiere in January 2020?

Miss Juneteenth premiered at Sundance in January 2020 and reached video on demand on June 19, 2020, the holiday's 155th anniversary.

In the 2020 film Miss Juneteenth, what prize does the pageant offer its winner?

A full HBCU scholarship is the prize; single mother Turquoise, a past winner, pushes her reluctant 15-year-old daughter Kai to compete.

Who directed the 'Juneteenth' episode of Atlanta?

Janicza Bravo directed the first-season episode, written by Stefani Robinson, which sends Earn and Van to an awkward Juneteenth party at a wealthy couple's home.

In which month of 1862 did Lincoln first read a draft Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet?

Lincoln read a first draft to his cabinet on July 22, 1862; Seward urged him to wait for a Union victory, which came at Antietam that September.

Who first led the Freedmen's Bureau, the 1865 agency that aided freed people?

General Oliver Otis Howard, a Union corps commander, led the Freedmen's Bureau from 1865 to 1872; Howard University in Washington, D.C. is named for him.

Which Texas governor was removed in 1861 for refusing a Confederate oath of allegiance?

Texas declared secession on February 1, 1861; Houston had refused to call the legislature into session.

Which Texas congresswoman introduced the 2021 Juneteenth holiday bill in the House?

Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston introduced the House version of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in 2021 and was among the holiday's leading congressional champions.

Who assembled Ralph Ellison's unfinished manuscripts into the 1999 novel Juneteenth?

Ellison's literary executor John F. Callahan condensed the unfinished manuscripts into Juneteenth in 1999; a fuller version appeared in 2010 as Three Days Before the Shooting...

Ralph Ellison began the novel that became Juneteenth after the success of which 1952 book?

After Invisible Man won the 1953 National Book Award, Ellison worked on the second novel from around 1954 until his death in 1994 without finishing it.

When Juneteenth was added in 2021, how many federal holidays did the United States have?

Juneteenth's addition in 2021 brought the count of federal holidays to 11, from New Year's Day in January to Christmas in December.

Which four holidays did Congress create in 1870 as the first US national holidays?

The 1870 act named New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, initially for federal employees in Washington, D.C.; coverage was extended in 1885, and Washington's Birthday was added in 1879.

Which financial exchanges close for Juneteenth?

The NYSE and Nasdaq added Juneteenth to their holiday calendars in 2022; post offices, banks and most government offices also close on the holiday.

Which of these sports organizations made Juneteenth a paid company holiday in 2020?

The National Football League joined Twitter and Nike in giving a paid day off that year, and Google Calendar added the holiday to its US listings.

In which year did Apple add Juneteenth to its iOS calendars as an official U.S. holiday?

Apple added Juneteenth to its iOS calendars as an official US holiday in 2018; corporate adoption then accelerated in 2020, when many companies made it a paid day off.