I must begin by saying kudos to Caterpillar for hosting a special diversity and inclusion celebration with a focus on Juneteenth, which will take place tomorrow at the Peoria Civic Center. This event is the inspiration for this blog post.
I have a good friend who lives in Denver, but was raised in Texas. She goes home to Austin just about every June for their huge Juneteenth celebrations. She is forever bragging about her home state's observation of the day. I am pleased to be able to share with her my fair city's events. :-)
Do you know what Juneteenth is? Don't feel ashamed if you do not. I grew up in Galesburg, Illinois. I received a very good education overall. However, I received little to no African-American history education. I did not get that kind of cultural history until I was a student at Bradley University and it was an eye opener to say the least. I hope things have changed in Galesburg in that respect because back in the day Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the beginning and ending of the black history experience.
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This took place over two years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation had not been enforced due to the limited number of Union soldiers. The arrival of General Granger meant that there were finally enough forces to overcome the resistance.
For more information regarding Juneteenth and some ideas of how to celebrate, visit www.juneteenth.com. Internet access is a beautiful thing, especially when used to educate yourself. Thanks again to the folks at Cat for acknowledging this special day, and to everyone else in the community that celebrated in your own way.
Peace and blessings,
J
