Make Juneteenth a national holiday now (opinion)

CNN ^ | June 13, 2020 | Peniel Joseph

[C19fan]

Juneteenth, the annual commemoration of emancipation that has been celebrated in the African American community since June 19, 1865, should be a national federal holiday. On that day, in Galveston, Texas, a military officer informed African Americans that they had secured their freedom, more than two years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring "all persons held as slaves" in the rebelling Confederate states to be free.

[escapefromboston]

First things first : eliminate President’s day and bring back Lincoln and Washington’s Birthday as holidays

[cyclotic]

The city I lived in ten years ago had a Juneteenth picnic. I have no idea how well attended it was but I don’t think it was that big of a deal.

Everyone has their own traditions and celebrations. This one seems like a bit of a stretch for national recognition. It was a regional event in Texas celebrating something that was accomplished long before in the rest of the United States.

One would think that celebrating the end of the Civil War or the signing of civil rights legislation would be a more meaningful national event.

[556x45]

Don’t know about that...I’d say a very large %age did it for other reasons.

[Fiji Hill]

The Civil War didn't end with Lee's surrender. Fighting continued farther west. The last land battle of the war, fought at Palmito Ranch in South Texas, was a Confederate victory. Incidentally, French troops on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande joined in the battle and fired on the Union troops--the only time a foreign army intervened in the Civil War.

Naval action continued, and in the summer of 1865, the Confederate raider CSS Shenandoah sailed into the Bering Sea and captured the entire Yankee whaling fleet. One can argue that the war finally ended on November 22, 1865, when the Shenandoah dropped anchor in England and lowered its flag for the last time.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

OK, thanks. Well then, I guess, welcome to the Department of Redundancy Department. :-)

[G Larry]

Wait isn’t the very term “Juneteenth” a racial slur, as though “some” are incapable of saying June nineteenth?

[avital2]

MLK Day covers it. period.

[super7man]

Yeah, but then there is the Publisher’s Clearing House letter that I wait for every day. ;o)

[DrewsMum]

Lol... nooo that is not why they went to fight. That’s what Lincoln told them they were fighting for when he needed propaganda.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

That date would be Sep 22, 1862. Not that I’m for either but June 19 is when most schools are on Summer vacation. Libs love to force their holidays on schoolkids.

[snoringbear]

Interesting. Thanks. Guess one can pick and chose which event was the end of the war. Where was Tweeter when we needed it?🙄

[hecticskeptic]

What? The same people who are destroying statues and erasing history of anything about slavery all over the place now want another day to memorialize it? Sheeeeeesh… give me a break.

[Liberty Valance]

It already is here in Texas. cnn has been awful slow to catch on. I’d say cnn is a racist organization doing their damndest to divide Americans of all races.

[joma89]

Another racist-centric demand from dark skinned people. They really are the most racist among us.

JoMa

[EEGator]

It’s all they have. It’s not as if they have merit to stand on.

[Cottonpatch]

We have always celebrated Juneteenth with a watermelon. We acknowledge the day. We celebrate all non religious special days much the same way. We have candy on Valentine’s Day, put up a Christmas tree on Pearl Harbor day. We are white people who live quietly and know the value of history. We respect all human beings as created by God.
We have served in the Military, lived in foreign lands, legally adopted children, attended church regularly and quietly loved and served our God, Family and Country. That is the good life. Choosing to do good. Choosing to love quietly.

[dfwgator]

Another excuse to have sales.

[dfwgator]

And next thing you know, The Hispanics will demand their holiday, then Muslims, than Asians....it will never end.

[Night Hides Not]

Last year, I asked my younger coworkers what Juneteenth was all about. When I didn't get much of a response, I offered the following "history lesson":

Slavery officially ended on 4/9/1865, when Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox. However, it took two months for the message to reach Texas, because the North destroyed the South's Internet connections. The message of surrender had to be sent via Pony Express.

Blank looks abounded, their knowledge of certain MAJOR historical events wasn't much better.

OTOH, when I told the story to my 9 YO grandson, he immediately responded, "Opa, there was NO internet back then."

[hanamizu]

The Emancipation Proclamation took effect (such effect as it had) on January 1. So it already is a holiday.

Lincoln knew he didn’t have the power to end slavery via executive order. But as commander-in-chief he did have the power to deny states in rebellion of anything useful to their war effort. The Proclamation had no affect on Union slave states or places in the Confederacy already under Union control.