Juneteenth
Our retail store, Binya Hilton Head, is more than a shop full of books, candles, clothes & accessories for the home. We’re all about celebrating artisans in the Lowcountry and honoring traditions and culture of our past. One of our missions is to educate and inspire locals on Hilton Head (and beyond) about our background. That brings us to an upcoming national holiday — an important day that celebrates a big day in our history. It is one that is lesser known and not as widely recognized as others….. it was only signed into federal law in June of 2021. Can you guess it?
It is Juneteenth!
Juneteenth is the annual celebration of the emancipation of enslaved people from slavery. “Juneteenth” is celebrated on June 19th and is commemorative of the anniversary date of the June 19, 1865 when Union Army General Gordon Granger gave General Order No. 3. In this order, he proclaimed freedom for enslaved people in Texas, which was the last state of the Confederacy with institutional slavery.
For you history buffs, several of you may ask — But wait a minute… didn’t President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation issue in 1863?
Yes…
Though President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was issued on Janauary 1, 1863, enforcement had been slow and inconsistent prior to the announcement by General Gordon. Enforcement of the Proclamation generally relied upon the advance of Union troops. Texas, as the most remote state of the former Confederacy, had seen an expansion of slavery and had a low presence of Union troops as the American Civil War ended; thus, enforcement there had been slow and inconsistent prior to Granger's announcement. It wasn’t until the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery nationwide on December 6, 1865 and after Gordon’s General Order on June 19th, 1865 that there was success with freeing enslaved people in the United States.
Celebrations recognizing the day that General Gordon gave the order to free the last slaves from Texas, started a year later in 1866. At first, the celebrations were around churches and in small communities of African-Americans in Texas. These celebrations spread throughout the next couple of years, and more commercialized by the 1920’s. Often times, the celebrations have been centered around a food festival or music festival, bringing people together of all races and heritages to recognize freedom from slavery.
To many people’s surprise and dismay, June 19th was not signed into law as a Federal Holiday until 2021, when President Joe Biden formally recognized it as such. It was the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983.
Here on Hilton Head, we’ll be celebrating Juneteenth at historic Mitchelville. We hope you’ll join us! To buy your tickets, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/annual-juneteenth-celebration-on-hilton-head-island-tickets-315042008127
One interesting historic fact here in the Lowcountry is that one of the earliest readings of the Emancipation Proclimation was done in Port Royal, South Carolina. To learn more about that reading, visit this link!
