As important as the 4th is, June 19th, otherwise known as Juneteenth, is Black Independence Day; the day that the last enslaved people of Texas finally received word that they were free.
Recognized as the longest continuous holiday in the US, join in an exciting journey though the origins of Juneteenth and the Birth of Freedom from 1865 to where we are today.
June 19, 1865, was a day that not only changed the lives of tens of thousands of slaves in the United States, it also marked the change of our country’s history. Slavery was abolished on January 1, 1863, by President Lincoln’s Executive Order known as the Emancipation Proclamation. Even though there was no legal right or justification for slavery to continue after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, many slave owners continued the practice.
When true talent collides like that, there’s no telling what will happen. Besides, that’s the kind of collision that turns into a good thing. Especially when it’s about to happen right here on Hilton Head.
Even though slavery was abolished on January 1, 1863 by the Emancipation Proclamation, the news was not received by slaves in Texas until June 19th, 1865 which was a day that not only changed the lives of tens of thousands of slaves in the United States, it also marked the change of our country’s history. Recognized as the date that slavery officially ended in America, Juneteenth has been celebrated for more than 150 years.
