Juneteeth Recognized As MD Holiday, State Marks End Of Slavery

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland will recognize Juneteenth as a legal holiday this year, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Thursday. The June 19 celebration marks the end of slavery in the United States.

The move comes hours before President Joe Biden is expected to sign a bill that would recognize Juneteenth as the 12th federal holiday. Juneteenth would be the first new national holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established in 1983, the Associated Press reported.

Most states recognize the holiday or have an official observance, the AP added. Journalist Kevin Freking noted that Texas, New York, Virginia and Washington give their state employees a paid day off to observe Juneteenth.

In Maryland, state government agencies and offices will be closed on Friday in observance of the Saturday holiday.

“This is an important step forward for our country,” Hogan said in a press release. “Maryland is proud to support this legislation, and observe this new national holiday.”

The governor's declaration is only good for 2021. State legislators would need to pass a law to make June 19 a permanent holiday.

Official Holiday

More and more places, including Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County, are recognizing Juneteenth as an official holiday. Both counties will close their government offices on Friday.

"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 — like Twitter, Nike and the NFL — have also made Juneteenth a paid company holiday.

Festivities

Annapolis will host Maryland's first Juneteenth festival this weekend.

The celebration starts Friday at 6 p.m. with an awards ceremony at the Maryland Cultural and Conference Center. The night will include live entertainment, African-American art and networking.

Tickets are available here. Proceeds will benefit programming led by young people and Black residents for high-poverty neighborhoods.

A parade will follow from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday. It will include:

• Civic organizations
• Marching bands
• Dance squads
• Floats
• And more

The route starts at City Dock with opening remarks and a community prayer. It ends at the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts with a:

• Closing ceremony
• Musical performance
• Ringing of the freedom bells
• Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation
• Theatrical performance
• Tribute featuring local artists and creatives

A music festival will close out the day from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. The concert will be at the Bates Athletic Complex.

Related: MD Weekend Events: Juneteenth, Pride, Crab Feast, Car/Truck Show

Prince George's County also released a slate of hybrid events. From racial discussions to DJ battles, here is what the Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation has planned:

• June 14 – 19 (Virtual) -Art Exhibition: Andi Cullins (Fiber Artist)
• June 17, 7 – 8:30 p.m. (Virtual) - Panel Discussion: Finding the Path to Healing - Addressing Historical Trauma and the Black Experience
• June 18, 5 – 7 p.m. (IN PERSON) - Juneteenth Celebration Kits Handout Drive-through. Juneteenth celebration kits for individuals to take home and plan their own celebrations. Kits include games, activity books, and historical information on Juneteenth. Limit of 2 Kits per vehicle. Drive-through locations are Montpelier Arts Center, Ridgeley Rosenwald School, and Oxon Hill Manor.
• June 19, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (Virtual) - Footprints and Roots: Organized by the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Prince George’s County Chapter. Keynote Speaker is Professor Dale Green, School of Architecture and Planning (Historic Preservation), Morgan State University.
• June 19, 1 – 3 p.m. (Virtual) - Juneteenth DJ Battle. Livestream event will feature DJ 2Tone Jones and DJ Miss H.E.R.
• June 19, 1 – 3 p.m. (IN PERSON) - Juneteenth Mini Celebrations. These small in-person celebrations will include music, history activities, and arts activities. Celebrations will include stepping workshops led by Step Afrika! and art activities led by Creative Suitland and Words Beats & Life. Venues are Montpelier Arts Center, Ridgeley Rosenwald School, and Oxon Hill Manor.

Click here to register for any of these festivities.

The Prince George's County Memorial Library System will also sponsor a series of talks, lessons and cultural activities throughout the month. Find details on the library's website.

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

History

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S., 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.” The holiday now “commemorates African-American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement.”

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.

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RELATED:

• Annapolis Hosts Juneteenth Festival, Marks End Of Slavery
• Juneteenth Recognized As Holiday In Anne Arundel
• Juneteenth Festival, Parade Planned For Annapolis
• What's Open, Closed For Juneteenth National Freedom Day
• Juneteenth Recognized As Holiday, Festival Set In Prince George's

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