This post is part of Brentwood-Darlington Neighborhood Association‘s Amplify Black Neighbors post series happening throughout June 2020. For more information, click here.

BDNA Note: In lieu of our normal Thursday post, we are featuring information about Juneteenth, a sacred day for African Americans around the country. We encourage neighborhood allies to avoid cultural appropriation and instead support our Black community by donating, educating ourselves, and continuing to work towards a better future together.

Partial History of Juneteenth from juneteenth.com:

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.  Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19^th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation – which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.

On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas through the efforts of Al Edwards, an African American state legislator. The successful passage of this bill marked Juneteenth as the first emancipation celebration granted official state recognition.  Edwards has since actively sought to spread the observance of Juneteenth all across America.

Click here to read the full history on Juneteenth.com