WHAT IS JUNETEENTH?
Juneteenth (a moniker of “June” and “nineteenth”) is the oldest national holiday that commemorates the end of slavery. Although President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, it took an additional two and a half years for news to reach Galveston, Texas that all enslaved persons were freed. On June 19, 1866, one year after the announcement, freedmen in Texas organized the first of what became the annual celebration of “Jubilee Day.” So while July 4th is celebrated as the day the United States was freed from British rule, Juneteenth is celebrated as the day all Americans became truly free.
1. GO TO A FUN EVENT
If you feel best in the presence of others, there are plenty of the more typical Juneteenth celebrations to go to. Here is a list of events (both in-person and virtual) that will be taking place in the Dallas area this year. They include parades, pageants, car shows, and much more!
2. TAKE A FITNESS CLASS
Fitness is a sure-fire way to release endorphins and clear your mind. To celebrate Juneteenth, consider supporting a Black-owned business and take a class at a Black-owned studio! You can find a list of them here.
3. GET CONNECTED WITH LOCAL BLACK HISTORY ORGANIZATIONS
If you want to learn more about Juneteenth and the impact that it has had on Dallas, you can check out Remembering Black Dallas, which is dedicated to the history of African American life in North Texas. The nonprofit guides bus tours, conducts educational presentations, preserves written and oral histories, and memorializes stories that Dallas has too often paved over.
We wish everyone a Happy Juneteenth!