Discover the Top 13 Entertaining and Insightful Fun Facts About Juneteenth: Unveiling History with a Twist!

1. Red Food Feasts

Whoever said red is the color of love must have adored Juneteenth feasts: Red food takes center stage at Juneteenth celebrations, symbolizing strength, spirituality, and life and death in West African cultures. From red velvet cake to barbecue and red soda or lemonade, these scrumptious treats aren't just Instagram-worthy – they carry historical and cultural significance, while the barbecue pit unites communities and honors ancestral spirits.
Source => unpeeledjournal.com

2. Late to the Emancipation Party

While the chickens may have come home to roost, the roosters were certainly off-base in their timing for announcing the end of slavery in the United States; it's called "Juneteenth," but the truth is more interesting: Juneteenth, on June 19, 1865, commemorates the day when Union soldiers, led by General Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the freedom of enslaved people – a proclamation made two and a half years earlier with the Emancipation Proclamation, but took its sweet time to reach Texan shores.
Source => pvamu.edu

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=> Fun Facts about Us-History

3. Slowest Carrier Pigeon Lincoln

Picture Abraham Lincoln as the world's slowest carrier pigeon: it took him two and a half years to deliver the message that slavery was over in Texas! The serious reveal: Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, marks the day in 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger finally arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of slavery – two and a half years after President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
Source => pvamu.edu

4. Miniature Emancipation in Texas

Hold on to your hats and glasses, folks: Texas had its own miniature Emancipation Proclamation, and it refused to wait for the wind to blow it in! : On June 19th, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger declared in Galveston, Texas, that all slaves were free with General Order No. 3; this was the final call for freedom to reach those still enslaved, and since then, Juneteenth became an annual celebration of African American heritage, culture, and all the incredible contributions they've made to society.
Source => battlefields.org

5. No Fluffy Mascots Needed

Step aside Santa Claus and Easter Bunny, Juneteenth is here to bring the party without needing any fluffy mascots: Commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, this historic celebration is also called Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Cel-Liberation Day, and is marked by parades, cookouts, and family gatherings honoring African American achievements and resilience.
Source => housedemocrats.wa.gov

6. Bigger Holidays in Texas

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and it seems their holiday-making prowess gets a ten-gallon hat-tip too: Juneteenth, a day first recognized as a state holiday in Texas in 1979, has now been embraced by almost all 50 states, with celebrations and events galloping across the nation in a contagiously festive manner.
Source => history.com

7. Juneteenth Flag Baby

If the Star-Spangled Banner and the Texas Lone Star State's flag had a baby, it would be the Juneteenth flag: an emblem designed in 1997 by Ben Haith that brilliantly blends freedom, opportunity, and American spirit with its red, white, and blue hues, centralized five-pointed star, and an arc symbolizing Black people's new horizon. Its popularity surged when it was hoisted in multiple state capitol buildings in 2020 and 2021, culminating in its recognition as the symbol of a federal holiday by President Joe Biden in June 2021.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Indiana Jones and the Juneteenth Monument

Paging Indiana Jones and the Disputed Statues: Did you know that the Texas Legislature approved a Juneteenth monument project in 1999, but it faced controversy for over a decade before being repealed in 2011? The project, which honored the arrival of federal troops declaring slaves free on June 19, 1865, was never installed on Capitol grounds due to objections to one statue and inaccuracies in the attire of the others. Ultimately, an African-American Texans memorial monument took its place, funded privately and installed by 2014.
Source => texastribune.org

9. 47 States' Hot Holiday

Step aside, Billie "47 States" Holiday: Juneteenth is turning more heads than a catchy jazz tune with its impressively widespread celebration, leaving only a trio of states stumbling behind. The serious scoop: Juneteenth is a state holiday or observance in 47 states and Washington DC, but not yet a federal holiday, with lawmakers advocating for its federal recognition and even debating reparations for the enslavement of 4 million Africans and their descendants.
Source => theguardian.com

10. Red Food and Drink Traditions

Red-y or not, here comes a juicy Juneteenth tidbit that'll have you dreaming of Texas-sized BBQs and Big Red soda burps: Juneteenth's quirky relationship with the color red embodies itself through traditional food and drink choices, like devouring watermelon, feasting on barbecue, and guzzling red lemonade, with roots tracing back to African and African American Yoruba and Kongo cultures that graced Texas in the 19th century.
Source => texasmonthly.com

11. Fiddles of Freedom

Hold onto your fiddles, it's emancipation time: Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, marks the joyous occasion on June 19th, 1865, when Union soldiers swaggered into Galveston, Texas, and announced the end of slavery, kickstarting a jubilant African American cultural celebration filled with soulful music and exuberant dancing, honoring the resilience, resistance, and foot-tapping spirit of those who marched towards freedom.
Source => iabdassociation.org

12. Real-Life Heroes' Day

Who needs Marvel when you've got real-life heroes rising in the face of adversity: Juneteenth is a heroic holiday celebrated by at least 45 states, marking the end of slavery in the US. First announced on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, it came two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, and its primary focus is on commemorating the historical significance and the resilience of the African American community.
Source => insider.com

13. Fashionably Late Freedom

If there was an award for fashionably late, Juneteenth would take the crown with a 2-year delay in breaking the news: Juneteenth commemorates when enslaved Black Americans in Texas were finally informed of their freedom on June 19, 1865, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation and two months after the Civil War's end – and now, it's the newest federal holiday in the U.S., signed into law by President Biden in June 2021.
Source => pewresearch.org