Juneteenth is not taught in American history books, and until a few years ago, few people outside of the Black community remembered June 19, 1865, as the day “a group of African-Americans in Galveston, Texas, received the news that they were indeed free.” According to several sources, the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor renewed national interest in the day. President Joe Biden made June 19th a federal holiday in 2021.
Juneteenth may be gaining awareness, but state governments have slowly recognized the public holiday. According to a 2022 Pew Research report, 24 states, Oregon included, and the District of Columbia honored the holiday that year. Cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Phoenix also celebrated June 19, 2022. On the other hand, Texas has honored June 19th as Emancipation Day since 1980.
Marsha Chapman, professor of History and African American Studies at Georgetown University, explained, “President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but news of the end of slavery in Texas had not traveled to this community until 1865. Since then, Juneteenth has been commemorated as the struggle against slavery and a celebration of freedom.” Listen to the rest of the History Channel’s video here.
RealClear Public Affairs provided the information in the following stories. An Alto, Texas resident freed in 1865, Preely Coleman shared his memory of the day with the “Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writer’s Project from 1936 to 1938.” He spent Juneteenth in 1937 sharing his first experience of freedom.
Coleman was working in a field when he heard the news. The 85-year-old remembered being told by the man who owned him that he and the other enslaved men were free. “You all are free as I am.” The men started to shout and sing in celebration.
Another recorded memory came from 93-year-old Sarah Ashley, a Goodrich resident, who described her first Juneteenth as a “burst of freedom.”
Despite being freed legally, many African American slaves remained under their owner’s control. For example, 87-year-old Reverend Bill Green heard that President Lincoln had freed all of the enslaved, but he was not. Instead, his owner tried to keep him as a slave until he was 21. Fortunately, a local judge saved Green from continued servitude.
Two women aged 90 and 87 told interviewers they doubted the news about their freedom. Margrett Nillin and Susan Merritt spoke sadly about how freedom brought violence against African Americans. They recalled that many were shot, tortured, or lynched by the Ku Klux Klan and former owners.
Juneteenth Events in Portland
Events honoring Juneteenth 2023 in Portland Metro begin on June 10 at Zenger Farm. On the 13th is a pre-party community event at She Bop. Then on the 16th is a community cookout.
And on the 17th, join Black & Beyond the Binary Collective as they host the Celebrate Black Queer and Trans Pride at the 2023 Juneteenth Oregon Parade. Also, on June 17 is the Lillis Albina Park celebration and the 8 Seconds Rodeo.
Don’t Shoot PDX is hosting an Art & Activism Workshop for Youth at Pacific Northwest College of Art on June 16 and 17. In addition, the Unity Spiritual Center of Portland invites friends and family for its Juneteenth service on Sunday, the 18th, and OPALINE is hosting Cold Sundaze Party on the 18th.
Finally, Black & Beyond the Binary Collective’s Black QT Kickback is on June 18 and 19. For further information about these events, use the links provided.
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
Google Search: Juneteenth Events in Portland, Oregon
RealClear PublicAffairs: Juneteenth: Taking Freedom Personally; by Elliott Drago
Pew Research: Nearly half of states now recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday; by Katherine Schaeffer
The New York Times: Juneteenth: The History of a Holiday; by Derrick Bryson Taylor
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Unsplash+
First Inset Image Courtesy of the Library of Congress – Public Domain License
Second Inset Image by Matthew Spiteri Courtesy of Unsplash
