Why Juneteenth?

Some people wonder why we celebrate Juneteenth. After all, it is a relatively new federal holiday, and many of us did not learn its history growing up.

As part of this year’s Juneteenth celebration, we created two educational displays now hanging in Taliaferro Hall alongside the art exhibition. In researching the project, I learned that Juneteenth is not simply a story of freedom delayed. It took two and a half years for news of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach enslaved people in Texas and secure their freedom. It is also the story of a celebration that many tried to silence.

During the Jim Crow era, Juneteenth observances were pushed out of public spaces and into homes, churches, and private gatherings. Yet the tradition endured. One of our display boards highlights the inspiring story of Opal Lee, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.” For decades, she walked 2½ miles every June 19 to symbolize the two-and-a-half years people waited for freedom to reach Texas. Her persistence helped lead to Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday in 2021. Now 97 years old, she reminds us that freedom, justice, and remembrance require both courage and perseverance.

Juneteenth invites us to reflect on what freedom means today and to give thanks for those who refused to let this story be forgotten. Our Juneteenth Celebration with the Jacksonville Gospel Chorale will do just that. We hope you will join us.

~Nancy Purcell, Director of Marketing and Communications