Juneteenth National Independence Day, a federal holiday, is coming up next Wednesday, on June 19, 2024. The holiday commemorates the end of slavery and a significant act to finally free the remaining 250,000 slaves in Texas who were still being held as human property in Texas two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Opal Lee, recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor by President Biden, helped to magnify the visibility of the widely celebrated holiday through her determination and perseverance. Ms. Lee took bold actions and walked hundreds of miles in 2.5 mile increments – to signify the two and a half years that it took for the slaves in Texas to be freed – after slavery was made illegal in 1862.
It was on that day, June 19, 1865, when, at long last, the remaining slaves were pronounced free and could finally be released from their inhumane bondage of white slave owners. The historic day has been celebrated for generations now, sometimes in the form of a food festival, a church community event, or a time of reflection and commemoration of those who were bound by the horrific practice of slavery in the United States.
Opal Lee grew up in the South, and experienced first hand the impacts of racial segregation and the rabid violence that plagued the American South. She witnessed the burning of her family home when she was just 12. Her courageous actions and dedication to education and empowerment led her into a lifelong teaching career. For Ms. Lee, retirement didn’t end her dedication to service.
Once she had completed her tenure as a public school teacher and guidance counselor, she worked with her community to address poverty issues, including through the opening of food bank and resource center. Then, at 89 years old, she made the decision to do everything in her power to get Juneteenth marked as a federal holiday. She traveled to dozens of cities and walked – 2.5 miles each location – to gather public support for her proposal in the lead up to her final ascent into Washington DC.
Then it happened, in 2021, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, making it the first new federal holiday since 1983, when Martin Luther King Jr.’s Day was adopted. Now communities across the country will hold a wide variety of events commemorating the historic day.
In Ashland, Juneteenth activities will happen on Sunday, XXX in front of the historic Churchill Hall building. In Medford on Saturday June 15, streets will be closed to accommodate speakers, live music, drummers and dancers and a marketplace of community organizations is planned for the BASE celebration. In Grants Pass, the Juneteenth Celebration will take place at Riverside Park from 4-7 p.m. on June 19.
