Juneteenth is a holiday observed annually on June 19, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. A combination of the words June and nineteenth, the holiday, also called Freedom Day, has been celebrated since 1866 and has been called “America’s second Independence Day.”
Juneteenth was originally celebrated in Texas on June 19, 1866, marking the anniversary of the day Black people in Texas first learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, two years after it was initially issued. Originally, the holiday was celebrated with prayer meetings and by singing spiritual songs.
History
In 1863, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared more than three million enslaved people living in the Confederate states to be free. However, chattel slavery remained in Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and West Virginia, therefore, slavery was not officially abolished in the United States until the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment. More than two years passed, however, before some 250,000 enslaved African Americans living in Texas were freed.
On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, with Union troops to enforce the emancipation of enslaved people. Upon arrival, he issued General Order No. 3, which declared:
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”
Reactions to freedom from the formerly enslaved ranged from silent disbelief and shock to celebrations filled with prayer, feasting, song, and dance. Those celebrations formed the basis of an annual holiday that would come to have many names, including Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day, and Juneteenth.
Celebrations and Traditions
Black Americans have maintained dedicated spaces to celebrate Juneteenth; the first official Emancipation Park was established in Houston in 1872.
Black Texans moved around the country and spread Juneteenth traditions and African Americans in other states began celebrating the day as well. Celebrations have continued annually across the United States into the 21st century and typically include prayer and religious services, speeches, parades, educational events, family gatherings and picnics, and festivals with music, dancing, and food. Celebrations often include a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the unofficial Black American national anthem.
Consuming red foods and drinks is essential to Juneteenth celebrations and for some African Americans, it represents a cultural connection to their West African heritage. The color red meant power and sacrifice in the cultural practices of West Africans affected by the transatlantic slave trade—especially the Yoruba and Kongo, who brought their beliefs and traditions with them to their enslaved communities in the Americas. For some celebrants, red picnic items such as barbecued meats, cherry cobbler, and red sodas (usually strawberry sodas standing in for traditional drinks of hibiscus and kola nut teas) symbolize the bloodshed of enslavement and honor ancestral strength and sacrifice.
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, officially recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Cooper is proud to sponsor two community Juneteenth events in our region. Join us in honoring and celebrating Juneteenth alongside our local community members! Click links below to access the flyers:
- Click here for Cherry Hill flyer.
- Click here for Glassboro flyer.
There will also be a special Juneteenth lunch menu at the Cooper University Hospital cafeteria and Cooper University Cape Regional café on Thursday, June 19, 2025.