What is Juneteenth? 6 things to know about America's newest federal holiday
With Juneteenth approaching, are you curious about the origins of the holiday? Wondering what Kentucky's ties to Juneteenth are? Here are answers to your biggest questions.
When is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19, the day Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 and freed those enslaved in Texas.
What to do: Here are 20+ events and ways to celebrate Juneteenth in Louisville
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.
Following the conclusion of the Civil War, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger traveled to Galveston, Texas with Union troops and issued an order freeing enslaved people across Texas on June 19, 1865, the first Juneteenth.
Though the Emancipation Proclamation had freed enslaved persons in Confederate states not yet under Union control on January 1, 1863, the proclamation was not enforced in Texas until the arrival of Union troops in 1865, according to the Galveston Historical Foundation.
What does Juneteenth mean?
The word “Juneteenth” is a combination of “June” and “19th,” the month and day that slaves in Texas were freed.
Is Juneteenth a federal holiday?
Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was signed into law. All federal employees get a paid day off for the holiday.
Juneteenth is not a state holiday in Kentucky, so state employees do not receive a paid day off.
Related: How Black people shaped Louisville's history. Here are 6 stories you should know
What is Kentucky’s emancipation history?
Enslaved people in Kentucky were not freed until the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified on December 6, 1865 with the support of three-quarters of states. Kentucky did not ratify the 13th Amendment until 1976.
As part of the Union, Kentucky was exempt from the Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued on January 1, 1863 and only applied to states that had seceded.
Some Western Kentucky and Tennessee communities also celebrate the eighth of August, though the date's history is not entirely known. Some say August 8, 1863 is the date that news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the region, according to Vanessa Holden, an associate professor of history and African American and Africana studies at the University of Kentucky.
How is Juneteenth celebrated?
Several Juneteenth events will take place this month across Louisville.
The city will be hosting a Juneteenth Jubilee, a series of events celebrating African American history through food, music, art and more. Juneteenth Jubilee events will take place from June 10 through June 19 at a variety of locations.
Overview: Here's your complete guide to Louisville's 2023 Juneteenth Jubilee
The fourth annual Louisville Juneteenth Festival will be held from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on June 18 at the Belvedere, 141 N. Sixth St., and will feature a number of vendors. The festival is also hosting music, food and networking events from June 10 through June 18.
Additionally, rapper Lil Jon will be performing a free concert at the Jeffersonville RiverStage on June 18 at 7 p.m.
Reach reporter Kate Marijolovic at kmarijolovic@gannett.com or on Twitter @kmarijolovic.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Juneteenth 2023: What to know about the holiday in Kentucky
