Did you know that the United States has two independence days?
The first Independence Day is observed on July 4, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was approved, thus officially cutting ties with Great Britain. Although the United States was free from Great Britain, not everyone was free because slavery existed. This is shared in Frederick Douglass’ 1852 keynote address, at an Independence Day celebration, titled “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” where he shared, “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.”
The second Independence Day is observed on June 19, 1865, known as Juneteenth, when approximately 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, to announce and enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, enacted on January 1, 1863, that proclaimed all enslaved Black people were free. Juneteenth is a time of celebration for the African American community.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday and an observed New York state holiday since 2021. As a SUNY institution, we observe this as an official holiday where our community members may choose to take a day off. As it is a celebration, Juneteenth is also a day of reflection and activity. We hope that you all will engage within the community to educate yourself or family about Juneteenth.
Reflection questions to consider:
- What does it mean to celebrate freedom?
- How much time occurred between the Emancipation Proclamation and the arrival of the Union troops to Texas? Why did that happen?
Check out this Penfield Library link of resources and information to learn more.
You can visit some of these local events (check out your local community for more events):
Syracuse
Juneteenth Festivities
Friday, June 16, 1 to 10 p.m.
Clinton Square
Check out this calendar for other Syracuse-area events
Rochester
Juneteenth Festival
Saturday, June 17, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
MLK Memorial Park, 353 Court St.
New York City
Second annual Juneteenth Food Festival
Saturday and Sunday, June 17 and 18, noon to 7 p.m.
Weeksville Heritage Center & Jimmy’s Picks by Black-Owned Brooklyn
158 Buffalo Ave., Brooklyn
Happy Juneteenth, and check out the Institute’s Instagram @OzInstitute for more information about Juneteenth and other awarenesses this summer.
-- Submitted by the Triandiflou Institute for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Transformative Practice