Interesting Juneteenth Facts
- ENSLAVED PEOPLE HAD ALREADY BEEN EMANCIPATED—THEY JUST DIDN’T KNOW IT.
- THERE ARE MANY THEORIES AS TO WHY THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION WASN’T ENFORCED IN TEXAS.
- THE ANNOUNCEMENT ACTUALLY URGED FREEDMEN AND FREEDWOMEN TO STAY WITH THEIR FORMER OWNERS.
- WHAT FOLLOWED WAS KNOWN AS “THE SCATTER.”
- NOT ALL ENSLAVED PEOPLE WERE FREED INSTANTLY.
- FREEDOM CREATED OTHER PROBLEMS.
- THERE WERE LIMITED OPTIONS FOR CELEBRATING.
- JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS WANED FOR SEVERAL DECADES.
- TEXAS WAS THE FIRST STATE TO DECLARE JUNETEENTH A STATE HOLIDAY.
- JUNETEETHHAS BEEN A FEDERAL HOLIDAY FOR ONLY A FEW YEARS.
- THE JUNETEENTH FLAG IS FULL OF SYMBOLISM.
- JUNETEENTH TRADITIONS VARY ACROSS THE U.S.