Valencia Voice

It is also known as Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day, and Freedom Day. Juneteenth, the national independence day, celebrates the end of slavery. In 1865, Juneteenth marked the end of slavery for the last Confederate community of African-American slave citizens in Galveston, Texas.

The history behind Juneteenth is significant and should be taught to aspiring cougars. This holiday is essential to American history in many ways.

Union General Gordon Granger and his troops traveled to Galveston, Texas, and proclaimed the end of slavery on June 19, 1865. The first Juneteenth was recognized worldwide and symbolized political efficacy, popular sovereignty, democracy and equality.

The first movement to make Juneteenth a holiday began in 1994 and was intended for Texas. It showed political effectiveness in implementing legislation that allowed for a federal holiday for this important day. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed a law recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

The 13th Amendment to the Constitution, representing popular sovereignty, the idea that political authority is in the hands of the people, marked the end of slavery and made the first Juneteenth in 1865 a notable event. The amendment was passed on January 31 of that year and ratified on December 6. The amendment immediately went into effect nationwide. According to National Geographic, it freed more than 100,000 enslaved people.

Brianna Granta library assistant at Valencia College, shares insight into her awareness and celebration of Juneteenth. While she doesn’t always attend in person, she makes it a point to understand its historical significance. Outside of Valencia, Brianna participates in art programs that honor Juneteenth with creative projects such as headphones and creative designs with themes around the holiday.

“I’m an artist based out of Valencia. We celebrate holidays by creating designs, like headphones with Beats by Dre, to celebrate and raise awareness of Juneteenth.”

Programs like the Black Creators Internship program are creating materials for events like the Black Future Brunch program in 2023, which will be held on June 19, 2023 to promote and highlight Black artists. These can be found on LinkedIn And Instagram.

When she thinks back to past celebrations, she describes how much she enjoyed barbecues, games and music – an atmosphere that captures the festive spirit of Juneteenth.

Brianna believes it is important for Valencia College students to learn about Juneteenth. She emphasizes that knowledge empowers individuals and increases cultural awareness. Despite its importance, she notes that there is relatively little awareness of Juneteenth through posters or widespread discussion. She suggests ways to increase awareness within the college community.

“I haven’t necessarily seen a lot of posters or people talking about it. It’s important that the students at Valencia College know about Juneteenth: knowledge is power, and the more you know, the better.”

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Some students spoke directly about what Juneteenth means to them. Rochelle Morgan, AA, nurse and student leader, highlights an upcoming event on West Campus where students will celebrate with soul food—a wonderful way to mark the day and foster community spirit.

She says, “We are hosting an event on West Campus on June 19th in the Breezeway of Building 3. We will be handing out soul food in the Office of Student Development to anyone who wants to celebrate with us.”

Faith Farley, a business administration student, emphasizes how important Juneteenth celebrations are to Valencia students, highlighting their historical significance and relevance to a college community. She says, “The Juneteenth celebrations are important, especially to the students of Valencia College. They are about the emancipation of slavery and affect all students.”

She underlines this with the words: “Valencia is culturally diverse.”

Dana Lee Raid, AA, communications, highlights how Juneteenth fosters a sense of community and unity among people and brings them together to learn and celebrate. Raid says, “It’s a big deal for Valencia College, especially to connect the students. The more we learn about American history, the more we can inform others and correct their actions.”

She mentioned that this holiday has not received much attention, saying, “In my language class, Juneteenth was mentioned briefly, but that was the only class that mentioned it.” She wishes more classes would be involved, saying, “Juneteenth affects our understanding of American history; it makes sure that things like this are visible in the classroom.”

Their findings reflect the impact of Juneteenth beyond the history books and give it relevance to education, cultural appreciation and community building at Valencia College.

General studies student Donovan Holloway reflects on the historical significance of Juneteenth, noting that many people may not fully realize its importance. He believes that it is more important than ever to celebrate this holiday as it raises awareness and appreciation for American history, especially its impact on the black community. As he said, “It is very important to our history, and many people are not aware of this holiday and do not appreciate it as much.”

Holloway also stresses that Juneteenth needs to be discussed more widely in educational institutions. He suggests that including it in the curriculum could deepen understanding and respect for this pivotal moment in American history. He said, “Not enough classes talk about it or they don’t go into detail.”

He also adds, “This is the perfect time to celebrate. It inspires us as students to be more aware of American history. It has a huge impact on our community and black history.”The 16th President Abraham Lincoln was instrumental in the implementation of the 13th Amendment.

According to the Gilder Institute of American History, he persuaded eight Democrats in the House of Representatives to change their vote and encouraged several other representatives who had missed the previous vote to support the amendment, which was finally passed on January 31, 1865.

Finally, Juneteenth represents equality by shining a light toward freedom, as the National Museum of African American History and Culture describes it:

“The roots of the symbolic power of the colour red can be traced back to West Africa, where it is associated with strength, spirituality, life and death.”

Juneteenth is included in the Federal Reserve’s holiday calendar for the primary election. Banks and some government services are closed on Juneteenth. Mail is not delivered and the United States Postal Service is closed. Summer classes at Valencia College will continue.

Festivities will take place in Winter Park, Orlando, Longwood and Kissimmee on June 15. A festival will be held in Clermont on June 19. Festivities will take place in Maitland on June 22. Maitland announced that the Central Florida Juneteenth Celebration and Fireworks Show will take place on June 22 and 23 at Lake Lily Park.