Juneteenth: Uncovering Heritage

On Tuesday, June 18, Denton Juneteenth hosted a genealogy workshop at the American Legion Senior Center to help African American families embark on their genealogy search journey. This event was organized in collaboration with FamilySearch, a nonprofit organization managed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that provides genealogical records and software.

Participants were guided on how to use the FamilySearch software to enter their family information. Once all necessary data is inputted, the software searches for records such as death certificates and marriage licenses.

After losing almost everything she owned in Hurricane Katrina, Griffin stresses the importance of documenting your own life.

Linda Jonas, professional genealogist and Cooke County resident, gave the presentation for the first workshop session. Jonas became interested in genealogy at 10 years old after she found out her grandma was not biologically related to her. [Ken Killingsworth, “Denton Juneteenth hosts genealogy workshop to help Black families discover their roots”, North Texas Daily (Denton, Texas), Jun 27, 2024 at ntdaily.com].

Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. The holiday marks the day in 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the end of slavery, enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation which had been issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. Although the Emancipation Proclamation had declared all enslaved people in Confederate states free, it wasn't until Granger's announcement that the emancipation was fully enforced in Texas, one of the last holdouts of slavery.

Juneteenth is also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Jubilee Day. It is a day of reflection, celebration, and education, with various festivities including parades, cultural performances, historical reenactments, and community gatherings. Juneteenth has gained increasing recognition and is now a federal holiday in the United States, celebrated as a day to honor African American freedom and achievements while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures.

On June 19, 1865, U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, which informed the people of Texas that all enslaved people were now free. This day has come to be known as Juneteenth, a combination of June and 19th. It is is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States (National Archives).

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in the United States on June 17, 2021.