HOLLYWOOD, CA — As Juneteenth officially becomes a federal holiday, people in Hollywood are having celebrations of their own. Juneteenth, held annually on June 19, celebrates the end of slavery in the United States and the date many slaves in Texas finally found out they were free.
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States, according to Juneteenth.com. It is “a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings.” In recent years, Juneteenth “commemorates African-American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement.”
In Hollywood, the Fountain Theatreat 5060 Fountain Ave. will host a Juneteenth celebration from 7:30 p.m. through 10 p.m. The event will feature music from DJ Earry Hall and special guests, along with food and art items from Black chefs, artisans and vendors.
Juneteenth is held on June 19 because that was the date in 1865 when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War had ended and all slaves were free. Many of the slaves in Texas had not known of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which had actually given them freedom more than two years earlier.
Granger read “General Order No. 3,” which stated, “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves,” according to the city of Galveston, which has an historical marker for its connection to the holiday.
Henry Louis Gates Jr., a Harvard University professor and African American historian, wrote in The Root magazine that Juneteenth is “an occasion for gathering lost family members, measuring progress against freedom and inculcating rising generations with the values of self-importance and racial uplift.”
Most states have Juneteenth listed as an official holiday. In 1980, Texas became the first state to designate Juneteenth as a holiday. In the time since, 45 other states have decided to officially recognize the day, according to The New York Times.
More and more places, such as Anne Arundel County, Maryland, are recognizing Juneteenth as an official holiday. County offices will be closed on Friday, June 18, in observance of the Saturday holiday this year, and Annapolis will host Maryland’s first Juneteenth festival with a parade through the state capital.
“Celebrating Juneteenth as an official county holiday demonstrates our county’s true commitment to freedom and equality — for all,” Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said in a statement. “The growing national push for observance of Juneteenth is an important step as we move forward toward justice for this community, in light of centuries of racism, discrimination, and inequity.”
Some major American brands — Twitter, Nike and the National Football League, included — have made Juneteenth a paid company holiday.
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