10 MYTHS ABOUT JUNETEENTH

Myth: Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the United States.

Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people. It’s a vital part of American history, reminding us to acknowledge our past and strive for a future of equality and freedom for all.

Truth: Slavery legally ended with the 13th Amendment in December 1865. Juneteenth commemorates the day on June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce and enforce the emancipation of enslaved people there—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Myth: The Emancipation Proclamation freed all enslaved people.

Truth: The Emancipation Proclamation, issued in 1863, only applied to Confederate states still in rebellion. It did not free enslaved people in Union border states like Kentucky and Maryland.

Myth: All enslaved people in Texas were freed immediately on June 19, 1865.

Truth: News of emancipation spread slowly, and many enslavers in Texas resisted. In some cases, enslaved people continued to be held in bondage for weeks or even months after Juneteenth.

Myth: Juneteenth has always been widely celebrated across the United States.

Truth: Juneteenth celebrations were long localized, especially in Texas and the Black community. National recognition and broader celebrations outside the Black community are relatively recent, especially after the 2020 protests for racial justice.

Myth: Juneteenth is a new holiday.

Truth: Juneteenth has been celebrated by Black communities since 1866. Texas made it a state holiday in 1980. It only became a federal holiday in 2021.

Myth: Juneteenth is only important to Black Americans.

Truth: Juneteenth is American history. It is a critical moment in the story of freedom, justice, and the long struggle for civil rights that should be recognized by everyone.

Myth: Slavery was not that significant in Texas.

Truth: Texas was a slaveholding state with a rapidly growing enslaved population before and during the Civil War. Enslavers moved to Texas to escape Union forces, believing it was a safe haven.

Myth: Texas fought for independence from Mexico to protect freedom and democracy.

Truth: Texas’s fight for independence was largely driven by the desire to preserve and expand slavery. Mexico had abolished slavery, and many Texas leaders seceded to protect the institution of slavery, not to promote universal freedom.

Myth: The Union Army went to Texas specifically to free enslaved people.

Truth: Union General Gordon Granger’s primary mission was to enforce the surrender of Confederate forces in Texas. Issuing General Order No. 3 was part of reestablishing federal authority.

Myth: Juneteenth means the struggle for Black freedom ended.

Truth: The end of legal slavery was just one step. Black Americans continue to face violence, discrimination, and systemic oppression through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and into the present.

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