Juneteenth Celebration

Happy Juneteenth Everyone!

We are so excited about the upcoming holiday. We have been thinking about ways to celebrate while social distancing. We decided to celebrate by having a small family gathering and cooking some delicious African food. We have been working on the menu for the past week.

Some people might not know what Juneteenth is so we will give you a brief description. Juneteenth is sometimes referred to as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which went in effect January 1, 1863. Although the proclamation was signed all the slaves weren’t freed immediately. It was a very slow process. The Civil War officially ended on April 9, 1965. On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger and his soldiers rode into Galveston, Texas. General Granger informed the African Americans that the civil war was over and the 250,000 African Americans were freed. Juneteenth was first celebrated in Texas and spread as former slaves moved to other parts of the US.

When I was younger I learned that July 4th is a holiday that celebrates the idea of freedom. It celebrates the ideals of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Juneteenth is America’s true Independence Day. For reference, I was a history major at Ohio State University. More than half of my classmates never heard of Juneteenth. Throughout the years I only heard the holiday celebrated here and there.

Illustrated print by Thomas Nast depicting life before and after emancipation.

NOW with all that has been going on the holiday has gained more meaning. Certain corporations are even giving their colleagues a paid holiday. The consciousness in American has risen at a level that I didn't think would reach my lifetime. I’m so excited about the potential. I’m excited to have this day were people will protest so we can all be truly free. I’m excited for people to reflect on all that has been happening and take time with their friends and/or family.

Part of a series of works by Stephen Towns were inspired by James Weldon Johnson’s poem Lift Every Voice and Sing which is often referred to as the Negro National Anthem.

I have been working on making Juneteenth cards for my daughter and her cousins. I want them to understand the significance of this day. We will eat, learn, celebrate, reflect, and recharge. I also plan on teaching the kids the negro national anthem Lift Every Voice. My daughter has been learning how to sing Nkosi Sikele Africa (God Bless Afrika). Nkosi Sikele is South Africa National Anthem. It’s actually two songs. The first part of the anthem is the African National Congress National Anthem (ANC). The second part is ‘Die Stem van Suid-Afrika (The Call of South Africa)’. It was the national anthem during Apartheid. The ANC was founded to bring Africans together and to fight colonialism and to fight for their rights and freedom in their homeland. I find it very time appropriate to teach the kids this anthem as well. We are in a time where people believe in equality, rights for all, and that the ways of the past aren’t going to cut it.

I hope you all have a wonderful Juneteenth celebration. I hope this holiday gives us the respect for all that our ancestors endured, how much we have fought for a more just union and that we continue to fight for rights.

I hope you all enjoy our video on how to make beignets. Everyone loves beignets - especially me. Some African countries call it puff-puff, mikate, etc. It’s a great dish to make to celebrate Juneteenth. We made a very comprehensive video so a beginner will have all the necessary tips to make a successful dish.

With Love,

Adolophine