PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire (AP) — Juneteenth celebrations took place around the United States Thursday, commemorating the day in 1865 when Union soldiers announced freedom to Black enslaved people in Texas. Participants said that recent events made them more determined.
Black Americans have been celebrating the holiday for years, but it gained popularity after former President Joe Biden, who was scheduled to attend an event in Galveston, declared it an official holiday in 2021.
The festivities coincide with efforts by the administration of President Donald Trump to delete information on Black American history from public websites and to outlaw diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the federal government. A contentious national debate has also resulted from Trump’s travel restriction on citizens of specific nations.
African drummers and dancers led the gathering in song and dancing while Robert Reid raised a big Juneteeth flag at Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s African Burying Ground Memorial Park. Reid, 60, claimed that he went in part to protest Trump’s “divide and conquer” strategy.
He stated that it’s time for individuals to be drawn together rather than kept apart.
18-year-old Jordyn Sorapuru, who is traveling from California to New Hampshire, described the high attendance as a lovely thing.
She said it’s good to be honored occasionally, particularly given the current political atmosphere. Having festivities like these is crucial given the offensive events that are currently occurring, which include brown people in the nation and many individuals being put in danger simply for living.
An edict given on June 19, 1865, as Union troops arrived in Galveston at the end of the Civil War, is the origin of the holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in the United States. All enslaved persons in the state were proclaimed free and equal by General Order No. 3.
Nearly 30 states and Washington, D.C., have made Juneteenth a permanent paid or legal holiday through legislation or administrative action, and every state recognizes it at least as an observance. One of the oldest Black churches in the country, the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, was being rebuilt in Virginia, and a ceremonial groundbreaking was staged.
Thursday’s event in New Hampshire marked the conclusion of almost two weeks of activities planned by the Black History Trail of New Hampshire with the dual goals of commemorating Juneteenth and drawing attention to inconsistencies in the widely accepted accounts of the country’s founding fathers in advance of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next year.
JerriAnne Boggis, executive director of the Heritage Trail, stated, “We stand firm in the truth at a time when efforts to suppress Black history, and by extension, to suppress American history, are on the rise.” This encompasses all of our history, not just Black history.
Trump made statements every June 19 throughout his first term in office, including one that concluded with We commemorate the incalculable contributions that African Americans have made to our country on Juneteenth, 2017, and we commit to uphold America’s claim to be the land of the free.
One of the whitest states in the country, New Hampshire, does not have a permanent, paid, or legal Juneteenth holiday. Boggis expressed her dwindling hope that lawmakers would move to establish one.
“With the political climate we’re in, I’m not so sure anymore,” she remarked. I believe that our grasp of our history, civil rights, and inclusivity has regressed significantly.
She yet thinks that the events in New Hampshire and elsewhere will have an impact.
Knowing the truth is not a tool that causes division. According to her, knowing the truth aids in our comprehension of some of the problems we are currently facing.
“And it’s better if it’s a little fun to spread that truth,” she remarked.
“We are fostering these ties of community when we get together, break bread together, enjoy music together, learn together, and dance together,” she said. We want to celebrate together as much as we educate.
