Juneteenth:2010 Juneteenth History & Celebration – Juneteenth is the celebration of Emancipation Day, also known as Freedom Day. The holiday is all about celebrating the abolition of slavery in the U.S. State in 1865. It was a defining moment that changed the shape of the country for many years to come. The term refers to the nineteenth of June. It has been recognized as a state holiday in 36 states in the United States of America. The first time the holiday was celebrated in was in Galveston, Texas.
They were the primary state to celebrate the holiday for one hundred years, until other states started to step up the celebrations. The holiday is considered to be a “partial staffing holiday,” meaning that the state offices are not obligated to close on the day, but employees will use a floating holiday if they would like to request the day off. Many other states also take part in an informal observance of the holiday.
36 states and the District of Columbia currently celebrate the holiday, or at least observe the holiday in some form. Other states include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Washington and West Virginia. A number of cities also celebrate the holiday individually, even if their state does not choose to observe the holiday.
The holiday celebrates the Emancipation Proclamation that was issued by Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862. The bill was not effective until the first of the following year, and had very little effect on the day to day lives of the slaves that is supposedly freed. Texas was initially resistant to the emancipation proclamation, and did not want to adhere to the rules that had been set by Lincoln.
