RCCD's Roadmap to Understanding Juneteenth and Why it Matters?

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of Black people who had been enslaved in the United States. While Juneteenth has been celebrated by many in the African American community since the late 1800s, it was widely unkno​wn to most Americans until last year, when Congress, on June 17, 2021, deemed Juneteenth a Federal Holiday. For many this was a momentous accomplishment after years of advocacy to recognize Juneteenth as America's true Freedom Day. For others, it was met with mixed emotions, as the ongoing issues of racial inequality continue to grow across the nation.

Dr. Tracy Fisher, Director of the Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties shared, “While Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, it is also a reminder of the nation's renewed and long-standing rallying cries and day-to-day struggles against racial injustice, structural racism, and police brutality, reverberating across the United States. The Black Lives Matter: Voices of Protest, Activism, and Art exhibition at the Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties brings these realities into sharp relief.” 

The Riverside Community College District (RCCD) firmly stands against all forms of racial injustice and strives to bring awareness of these issues to the forefront. RCCD has prepared the following roadmap to help our college community better understand Juneteenth and why it is important to American history. In the words of Chancellor, Isaac, “Sharing knowledge and information is the most fundamental act of community. It costs us nothing to share what we know, and makes us stronger, because we do.”  Happy learning...  

What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is one of the oldest national celebrations to recognize the end of slavery and freedom for African Americans. Two years after President Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, Texas slave owners failed to inform the enslaved they were free. On June 19, 1865, Union Soldiers, many of whom were Black, entered Galveston, Texas, to enforce the President's new orders. On this day, Commanding Officer Gordon Granger, read General Order Number 3: 

“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 rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”  - Union General Gordon Granger, “General Order No. 3” (June 19, 1865)

This was the birth of Juneteenth. It is important to note that slavery did not end in states like Delaware and Kentucky, until six months later, December 18, 1865, when the 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution was ratified, and slavery was officially abolished.

When is Juneteenth and where did it get its name?

Juneteenth is June 19th. The word Juneteenth is a blend of the words June and the ordinal number nineteenth. Thus, Juneteenth. Other names for this holiday include Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Cel-liberation Day, and Emancipation Day.

What are typical celebrations?

In the years following 1865, many African Americans celebrated Juneteenth festivities, and their new-found freedom openly. Not long thereafter, Black people were terrorized, lynched, threatened, their properties destroyed, and they were banned from celebrating in public places. African Americans were forced to celebrate Juneteenth in backwoods and along riverbeds. For some, celebrating became a matter of life or death. Churches and African American citizens who owned property would sometimes host the festivities, until the Jim Crow era and the system of segregation and racial apartheid caused celebrations to largely phase out. It was the Civil Rights Era and the Poor People's March of 1968 that revived the celebrations and spread the tradition across America.

Today, Juneteenth celebrations are similar to celebrations you would see on the 4th of July. It is a time of fun, reflection, thankfulness, and family. It is also an opportunity for education and passing down history to younger generations. On this day, many people have family cookouts, pageants, parades, and outdoor activities.

What are Juneteenth colors?

The official colors for Juneteenth are red, white, and blue to match the official Juneteenth flag, created by Ben Haith, the founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (NJCF), in 1997. The colors were intentionally chosen to demonstrate that even through enslavement, African Americans have always been Americans. 

• • • The White Star: Represents the Lone Star of Texas and symbolizes the freedom of enslaved people throughout the 50 states. 
      
      
    • The Bursting Star Outline:  Symbolic of a nova, representing new beginnings for people in the United States. 
      
      
    • The Arc: Separates the blue from the red and is symbolic of a new horizon. 
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    • Red: Represents the blood shed on the journey to freedom.
      
      

The holiday is also celebrated in the Pan-African colors red, yellow (gold), green, and black.

What are important foods and drinks?

In addition to traditional BBQ, red colored food and drinks are a staple of the Juneteenth holiday. This includes red soda, red punch, hibiscus tea, red velvet cake, red beans and rice, hot sauce, red fruits like watermelon and strawberries, and strawberry pie. Red is a symbol of remembrance for the blood shed by the enslaved. Side dishes often include “prosperity foods.” For example, black eyed peas and pork represent wealth; corn represents gold; and collard greens and leafy vegetables represent good fortune. 

When did Juneteenth become a Federal Holiday and who is Opal Lee?

On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed bill S. 475 - Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, making Juneteenth the 11th Federal holiday for the United States of America. This is the first Federal holiday since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, in 1993. 

Ms. Opal Lee is a civil rights activist, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” and a Nobel Peace Prize Nominee. Ms. Lee made it her life's mission to bring national awareness to Juneteenth. According to the NY Times, in 2016 at the age of 89, Opal Lee decided to walk from her home in Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C., in her campaign to have Juneteenth recognized as a national holiday. Opal Lee is currently 95 years old. 

How can you celebrate?

There is no one way to celebrate Juneteenth. What is most important is to acknowledge the rich history Juneteenth holds and to incorporate that history into your life and into your family celebrations. Since 1993 the Riverside Juneteenth Committee has worked to bring Juneteenth celebrations and acknowledgements to Riverside County. Feel free to connect with local celebrations and join the RCCD in acknowledging the blessing of freedom. 

To every student, staff, faculty, and administrator within our three colleges, our centers, and the District Office, Happy Juneteenth. We hope you enjoyed this educational roadmap to better understand the Juneteenth National Independence Day.​​

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