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by Hank Gray (Author)
The Juneteenth Handbook commemorates the Juneteenth Day Celebration, also known as Freedom Day and Emancipation Day. It delves into the individuals, locations, and pivotal moments leading to the establishment of the oldest African American observance in the United States. Juneteenth symbolizes a secondary independence day for African Americans, marking the termination of slavery in the U.S. and initiating the eventual demise of slavery nationwide. It signifies the historic instance when enslaved individuals in the southern U.S. were publicly informed of their emancipation as decreed in Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. While Lincoln's proclamation didn't extend to slaves in loyal northern states, it did liberate those in Texas. Analogous to the biblical Passover commemorated by the Israelites for their liberation from bondage, the newly emancipated slaves in the southern United States christened their freedom day as Juneteenth.
