‘Paul C. Taylor’
A&S faculty reflect on the importance of Juneteenth
Jun. 19, 2021—Today, June 19, marks 156 years since Union Army General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom from slavery in the state of Texas—the last state where the Emancipation Proclamation was enforced. At the time, an estimated 250,000 people were still enslaved in Texas. What began as an annual celebration in Texas’ Black community has grown to become...
Resources for Engaging With the Spirit of Juneteenth
Jun. 19, 2020—On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger declared to the state of Texas—the Confederacy’s western frontier—that “all slaves are free.” June 19, shortened to “Juneteenth,” quickly became an annual day of celebration for Texas’s black community. By the 1920s, it had spread around the country, and in 1979, the tradition came full-circle as...