The End of Slavery: What Is Juneteenth?

What's the story?

• For many Americans, June 19th is known as "Juneteenth," a day commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.
• It is also known as "Juneteenth Independence Day," the idea being that the 4th of July only commemorates the independence of European-descended Americans.
• On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris signed a law making Juneteenth the first new federal holiday in decades.

The history

• In 1997, Congress issued a joint resolution noting that the observance of Juneteenth is “an important and enriching part of our country’s history and heritage.” In June 2021, Congress passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.
• Juneteenth is officially recognized or observed in 47 states plus the District of Columbia. 
• Though the Emancipation Proclamation technically ended slavery on January 1, 1863, it took another two years until it reached all enslaved people. Juneteenth commemorates the day on which emancipation finally reached those in the deepest parts of the former Confederacy.
• Juneteenth started in Texas in 1865 when 250,000 enslaved people were (finally) liberated.

Modern slavery

• Despite the great strides the United States has made since then, slavery within our borders persists to this day.
• According to the Global Slavery Index, there are still 403,000 people living in modern slavery within the United States. The GSI defines slavery as any kind of forced exploitation, including labor trafficking (domestic work, agriculture, traveling sales crews, restaurant and food service, and health and beauty service) as well as sex trafficking.
• The Atlantic reports that aspects of U.S. immigration law enable modern slavery.

Enduring inequality

• Meanwhile, African slaves’ descendants and other people of color still face racial inequality today, whether in housing discrimination, disproportionate incarceration rates, income disparities, or myriad other aspects of daily life.
• African Americans were at much higher risk of contracting COVID-19 than the rest of the U.S. population. Blacks are also much more likely than white people to die from the novel coronavirus. 

What do you think?

What actions, if any, should our elected representatives take to eliminate slavery and discrimination in the United States? Take action above and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.

—Sara E. Murphy & Josh Herman

(Photo Credit: Austin Public Library / Public Domain)