Celebrating freedom — that’s the idea behind Juneteenth, a long nationally-celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth takes place every year on June 19th, and you can support it by shopping at local, Black-owned businesses.
“Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Cel-iberation Day, or Emancipation Day, is an annual holiday observing the end of slavery in the U.S.,” explained Alyza Brevard-Rodriguez of SW3AT Sauna Studio in Jersey City and Hoboken. “It marks the day, June 19th, 1865, when news of emancipation reached people in the deepest parts of the former Confederacy in Galveston, Texas two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Liberated Black Americans celebrated by prayer, dance, parades, and community feasts.”
Here’s what you need to know about Juneteenth + how you can support it.
The History of Juneteenth
According to Juneteenth.com, Juneteenth is the oldest celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S. The day dates back to June 19th, 1865 — the day Major General Gordon Granger and his Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to learn that the war was over and all Black slaves were free.
This is meaningful because it came two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the original Emancipation Proclamation. The Proclamation legally freed slaves, but though it went into effect on January 1st, 1863, it was seldom enforced throughout Texas. With an insignificant presence of Union troops in the state, there weren’t enough officials to carry out the order, so many Black people remained enslaved for an additional two and a half years.
Read More: How Jackie Robinson Broke the Color Barrier in Jersey City
When General Lee surrendered and Mayor Granger’s Union troops arrived in Galveston, the Union finally had enough influence to overthrow the Confederate resistance and enact the Executive Order.
One of General Granger’s first orders reads:
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 rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”
This day in history — June 19th, 1865 — is now commemorated throughout the United States as the official end of slavery.
When Did Juneteenth Become a National Holiday?
On June 17th, 2021, President Biden signed a bill into law making Juneteenth a national holiday in the United States.
During the ceremony, the President said it was not enough to commemorate the holiday and encouraged citizens to use it as a day of reflection and action.
“Although Juneteenth is a day of celebration, it truly is a sad day when you internalize what it marks in American history; giving human beings their freedom,” Tee of Suite Tee Beauty Studio in Jersey City explains. “People that were enslaved because of the color of their skin, because they were considered inferior and less than. Those humans were beaten and abused, they were responsible for building colleges and other notable infrastructure, they raised children that were not theirs all while being stripped away from their own children and so much more tragedy.”
Tee adds, “Now, 150 years later, the descendants of these people are still fighting the war against racism in this country. Although it is a celebration… this is no party. There is still work to be done and Juneteenth should be a day of reflection for us all.”
How to Support Juneteenth
The goal behind Juneteenth is to remember the history of the day, support Black businesses, and fight racism.
“Promote and encourage the people of your community to support the Black businesses in your area. Give your children a history lesson about why this day is so widely celebrated and continue to teach them about the many great contributions Black people have made to the United States,” Shakera of Dessert Pixie Treats + Parties in Jersey City says. “Learn ways you can fight racism in a real way and insert that into your daily life.”
You can support Juneteenth by pledging to only shop at Black-owned businesses for the entire day of June 19th.
See More: A List of Historical Places to Visit in North Jersey
“Our mission is to come together to celebrate our freedom, our ancestors, our culture, and to empower our community of Black entrepreneurs and business owners here in our city,” explains Keeley of Secur, a women’s boutique in Jersey City. “Our ultimate call to action is a three-part series we curated called the Black Owners Initiative. We have organized a rally to discuss the disparities Black business owners face and how systematic racism affects our progression.”
Some local Black-owned businesses you may want to support include Aku Frika — African fabric clothing and homemade shea butter — the Jersey City-based Banana Pudding King, Double Dough in Hoboken, and more.
Keeley continued, “We are also asking everyone to intentionally spend their day shopping with Black-owned businesses and seeing the importance of supporting these businesses. When you support these businesses you support employment, homeownership, tuition, and the creation of generational wealth.”
Be sure to check out our full list of local, Black-owned businesses in Hudson County for more on where to shop on June 19th.
