Honoring Juneteenth
Sasha Bush
The Ashland Beacon
Juneteenth is right around the corner, and the city of Ashland is ready to celebrate! But what exactly is Juneteenth, and why do we celebrate it? Juneteenth, short for “June Nineteenth,” marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state of Texas to ensure that ALL enslaved people would be freed. Originally, this day of celebration was called “Jubilee Day.” The arrival of the troops came two and half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. The Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on June 1, 1863, stated all enslaved people within the Confederate states in rebellion against the Union “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” In 1865, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday. Slowly but surely, other states began to follow suit, and on June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden declared Juneteenth a national holiday.
The importance of this day and the fact that it is now recognized as an official day is monumental to society. Juneteenth isn’t just another holiday, and it isn’t just a holiday that should be celebrated by people of color… it is a day that should be embraced and celebrated by ALL. Juneteenth serves as a symbol of what can be made possible when we as a society move forward together and brings to light the American ideal of freedom and equality meant for ALL citizens of the United States regardless of color, age, sex, race, gender or whatever the case may be. Juneteenth has earned many names throughout the years… Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day.
With June 19 quickly approaching, there are many celebrations taking place in honor of this historic day. On June 15, the Highlands Museum and Discovery Center will host a gospel night full of praise and worship songs to get you in that celebrating spirit. This event begins at 7 p.m. The following day, the Boyd/Greenup NAACP, Ashland for Change, and ACTC invite you out for a community cookout, which will be held at the C.B. Nuckolls Community Center and Black History Museum on June 16 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. This is an event that has something for everyone, and serves as the perfect opportunity to visit the museum, which is proud to announce its Juneteenth exhibit. The C. B. Nuckolls Community Center and Black History Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to collecting, documenting, preserving, and studying Black History in Ashland, KY and across America. This museum will continuously cultivate black history experiences and honor accomplishments of the past while providing education for current and future generations. If you haven’t visited the C.B. Nuckolls Community Center and Black History Museum, this would be the perfect opportunity. There will be free food, drinks, games, music, and more to enjoy.
“Black History isn’t a separate history. This is all our history, and we need to understand that. It has such an impact on our children, their values and how they view black People.” -Karyn Parsons