Juneteenth 2021: How DeKalb County Marks The End Of Slavery

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — As efforts to make Juneteenth a national holiday continue, people in DeKalb County are having celebrations of their own. Juneteenth, held annually on June 19, celebrates the end of slavery in the United States and the date many slaves in Texas finally found out they were free.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States, according to Juneteenth.com. It is “a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings.” In recent years, Juneteenth “commemorates African-American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement.”

In DeKalb County, there are several events going on throughout the weekend to celebrate Juneteenth:

• DeKalb County will host a Juneteenth celebration Friday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the bandstand in Decatur Square, including several speakers, music, refreshments and a mobile COVID-19 vaccination unit.
• The city of Decatur and the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights are hosting Decatur's first-ever Juneteenth celebration Saturday from 4-8 p.m. also at the Decatur Square, featuring vendors, music and a youth art and mural project.
• Enjoy live music, drumming and dance performances from local artists and students at Avondale Alliance for Racial Justice's second annual Juneteenth Jubilee Stroll. The event takes place Saturday from 5-7 p.m. all along Avondale Road/College Avenue.
• The city of Stone Mountain — home to the world's largest Confederate monument — will host its first Juneteenth celebration Saturday from 6-9 p.m. at Stone Mountain Village, featuring live music, dancers, church choirs, fireworks, speeches, a tribute to the late Congressman John Lewis and other festivities.

Juneteenth is held on June 19 because that was the date in 1865 when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War had ended and all slaves were free. Many of the slaves in Texas had not known of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which had actually given them freedom more than two years earlier.

Granger read “General Order No. 3,” which stated, “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves,” according to the city of Galveston, which has a historical marker for its connection to the holiday.

Henry Louis Gates Jr., a Harvard University professor and African American historian, wrote in The Root magazine that Juneteenth is “an occasion for gathering lost family members, measuring progress against freedom and inculcating rising generations with the values of self-importance and racial uplift.”

Most states have Juneteenth listed as an official holiday, although it is not a national holiday. In 1980, Texas became the first state to designate Juneteenth as a holiday. In the time since, 45 other states have decided to officially recognize the day, according to The New York Times.

Juneteenth celebrations have occurred in most states, according to Juneteenth.com. A number of cities and towns held events and parades for the 150th anniversary in 2015.

Also On Patch: What Is Juneteenth? 5 Things To Know About The Holiday That Marks The End Of Slavery

More and more places, such as Anne Arundel County, Maryland, are recognizing Juneteenth as an official holiday. County offices will be closed on Friday, June 18, in observance of the Saturday holiday this year, and Annapolis will host Maryland’s first Juneteenth festival with a parade through the state capital.

"Celebrating Juneteenth as an official county holiday demonstrates our county's true commitment to freedom and equality — for all," Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said in a statement. "The growing national push for observance of Juneteenth is an important step as we move forward toward justice for this community, in light of centuries of racism, discrimination, and inequity."

Some major American brands — Twitter, Nike and the National Football League, included — have made Juneteenth a paid company holiday.

Related:

• First Juneteenth Celebration Planned In Decatur
• Juneteenth Celebration Slated In Avondale Estates