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Benjamin Lundy an antislavery agent, reported in his compulation of writings of the early 1800's, The War in Texas, stated, "Texas was to be settled territory by some of the wealthiest slaveholders from Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee and their slave-based societies." Their crusade as he called it, was to re-establish the system of slavery and open vast and profitable Texas slave markets and ultimately annex to the United States. The newly independent Mexican government however, never wanted slavery to become a permanent part of their new nation after their revolt against Spanish domination in 1819, though slave labor was used to build plantations. After the adoption of its constitution in 1827, Mexican legislators agreed no one born on Mexican soil would be a slave. This tension over slavery between 1836 (the year of the battle of the Alamo) to 1848 became the primary cause of these new Texans seeking independence from Mexico and establishing the Republic of Texas under its first President Sam Houston. For three decades between 1836 and 1865 as many as 5000 slaves escaped across Mexican borders and settled their own townships and territories. They called Mexico their "El Dorado" (my paradise) where they had freedom, land and political rights.

The Mexican government believed that runaways weakened the slavery system and these border communities help prevent further American expansion into Mexico and refused to agree to any treaty for extradition of slaves. The last battle of the Civil War, The battle of Palmito Ranch, a confederate victory, was fought in Texas May 11, 1865. A month later freed slave proclaimed June 19, as their personal day of emancipation. Today, Texas is still the only State in the Union recognizing Juneteenth as an official paid state holiday by House Bill 1016 approved June 7th, 1979. The Texas Black Legislative Caucus led by Houston legislator Al Edwards, understood that to get a bill and not just a resolution there would be a difficult compromise made. Many of their white fellow legislators saw the need to have their heritage recognized also. The fact those southern heroes as Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and others are honored by the current Union, bought an addition to the Bill. So, the 19th day of January was also included and made an official state holiday as "Confederate Hero's Day."

The term Juneteenth is a colloquialism that stands for the 19th of June, the day Texas slaves heard of President Lincoln's Executive Order of the Emancipation Proclamation. In marking this as their personal day of freedom and future, maded it the first annual celebration of Africans in America. In 1865, General Gordon Granger under General Order #3 with 1800 Union soldiers delivered the news on a balmy summer morning in Galveston Texas. No other group of slaves prior informed of their freedom had marked earlier dates for commemorating their sense of hope as a celebration of freedom. The celebrations continued each year dispite initial resistance, until even White Texans began to recognize the date as "special". So much so, that by the 1950’s, June 19th became the only day that venues governed by "Jim Crow" as city parks and public theaters would permit Blacks. Juneteenth became an annual date and time that Black Texans used to renew their spirits and reassure their dreams of being free.

For several years after 1979 when Texas gave new life to what some viewed as "it’s" Juneteenth, many pondered why even celebrate a date that held slavery 2 and one half years longer than northern slaves freed by Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation? Particularly since other dates in both the North and South had been recognized as the time the word of freedom rang in the ears of Blacks endured by slavery. Many, who found value in commemorating June 19, often responded to this fact and question by simply saying, “none of us were free until all of us were free.” Some said, “of course the message took a longer time to reach Texas due to distance and the crude travel of the messenger.” This also referenced as reason for the term Juneteenth, as not knowing the exact date between June 13th or 19th of the word arriving. Some even responded, “though the word reached Texas earlier, slave traders and plantation owners loyalty was to “King Cotton” needing to have the cotton picked, the message was suppressed for their riches.” While these responses sufficed in logic, perhaps the greater questions still went unchallenged. Why didn’t slaves who heard the message earlier not mark their dates as annual commemorations and why those dates marked haven’t emerged as Juneteenth has? Still, some mystery about Juneteenth prevails in establishing its past, its present and its future as the oldest African American date of celebration. Many, have chosen June 19th as prescription to Frederick Douglas’s assertion in his 1852 speech at Rochester of July 4th being "a sham to American slaves as a celebration of gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the victim ". To this end, Juneteenth has become linked to the civil rights and reparations movements. Though seldom stated the 1964 Civil Rights Act bill HR 7152 was passed in US Senate on June 19 that year.

Today, we African Americans have three dates we celebrate as part of our heritage in support of our spirit and social faith, Kwanzaa, Dr. Martin King Day and Juneteenth. Though the latter was the 1st of these days taking its roots 141 years ago, perhaps it also is the least understood or recognized by many African Americans. Not yet to make the controversial political splash as Dr. Kings’ day did, when in 1986 all but a hand full of states like Arizona failed to accept its importance and value as a National holiday. Or, as the many years it took, before widespread embracing of Dr. Maulana Karenga’s seven principals of Kwanzaa from 1966, Juneteenth has been slower in unfolding though to date, 18 states including Missouri have embraced it with official holiday statues.

Recent efforts by Dr. Charles Taylor, author of the book, “Juneteenth” and organizations as the Juneteenth Heritage & Jazz Festival, the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation and others have aided Juneteenth in being embraced nationally as Kwanzza and Dr. Kings day. Organizationally, JHJF and NJOF have combined efforts to include in Juneteenth's legacy what represents its spirit by including jazz and blues artistry. These art forms, as Juneteenth, were created as a freed expression by the African American from socioeconomic repression that now embodies the American experience.

Missouri legislators led by Rep. Juanita Walton and Sen. Rita Heard- Days, unanimously passed holiday legislation in HB 640 May 15, 2003. A special U.S. Senate sub-committee led by U.S. Senators Trent Lott and Carol Mosley-Braun unanimously passed SJ Res.11 on April 10, 1996 proclaiming June 19 as “National Emancipation Day”. Political efforts including a nationwide petition are currently active toward gaining a National Holiday by 2008.

What is Juneteenth's future....

Juneteenth stands for freedom, liberation, emancipation, the sense of self and the ability to determine for self. Juneteenth means spirit of expression, recognition and honor, reflection of the past and the hope of the future. Juneteenth is a date of celebration in commemoration of Black psychological emancipation. A time of capitalization for African American realization of free market enterprise in reaching the American dream. Juneteenth is the beginning of every humanitarian freedom movement and the ending of all efforts to stop them. Juneteenth is a commitment to travel the spiritual and economic roads of life that will get us to the Promised Land. Juneteenth emerged from injustices of the past but hold promise of compensations for the future. Juneteenth in its highest of spirits and its depths of depression, gave America artistic expressions in rhythm, dance, jazz, blues, gospel, poetry, rap and a claim of uniqueness in cultural heritage. Juneteenth is the courage of unity. Soon, all America will grow and come to understand the "specialness" of human rights and the spiritual repentance of past wrongs, and then, it too will proclaim Juneteenth as an American holiday.

“If symbolism of a time or event is what motivates our human spirits and unifies our actions as Americans, then Juneteenth is one of the best symbols for unity we have in honor of the integrity of those slaves who refused to allow racism to destroy their courage or kill their dreams.” - Curtis Faulkner