juneteenth is an opportunity I think, to celebrate commemorate and reflect on black Independence in the United States and turn them loose on 19 June. That's why, you know, you celebrate that deep celebrate 70 Yeah, I am Angela thorpe, I am *** public historian based in north Carolina. The emancipation proclamation was signed january 1st 18 63. It's signed in the midst of the civil war. But what we have to understand is that um, this document or this proclamation does not free all enslaved people. Texas is *** hot spot if you will for defiance of the emancipation proclamation specifically, I think that is part of what makes the juneteenth story so special that information is not getting to texas like it is some other places. Um and if you're thinking about the Union army physically advancing through the south, that journey is taking *** long time. Mhm Marshall didn't tell, you know it was free or you didn't tell they went there I think not have said it with them. six months out of their six months, june 19th, 18 65 juneteenth becomes *** reality. General Granger is one of the foremost people who is responsible for occupying texas. Once um, it falls to the union and enforcing new realities in texas and Galveston's specifically. And one of the first things that he does is announced. General order number three, that informs enslaved peoples that they are free On on the 19th, you know, that's called that they have to give him *** big deal 19 Well now we didn't know chill, I don't hide the other side of functional friend. We didn't know, I just thought, you know, we're just feeding us, you know, had *** long table and just had just *** little everything you want to eat, you know, and drinking them, They said that was only 19 saying we won't eat and drink. Well, see, I didn't know what that was for. I think what's really interesting though in the language of his order is that it encourages or outright instructs formerly enslaved peoples who stay where they are. And so when we think of this concept of liberation, I think it's so fascinating, incredible and powerful that formerly enslaved men who are now U. S. Colored troops are an active part of spreading that information from courthouse to church, the farm, the plantation to inform formerly enslaved people. Hey, you are free, join me, right? You're liberated. But if you've been held in bondage for generations in generations, what does that actually look like? Will you even survive leaving that place? Will you be murdered on route? Will you be killed trying to leave? Those are realities. Mom and them didn't know where to go. You see after field broke, just just like you turned something out, you know, I don't know where to go in many places is something similar to tent cities, right? Like people are sort of packing up their belongings, creating shelters, the best way they know how I think what is phenomenal though about that story is these encampments, these sort of raw settlements. Ultimately in many places evolved into small towns and small cities in which black people were able to build community and to thrive. And then there are other black people who leave right there, leaving to find family, to find love to reconnect with family. As people moved from texas and moved about the country migrated about the country. They carried those juneteenth traditions with them. The earliest juneteenth celebration took place june 19th, 18 66. So they included public readings of the emancipation proclamation. They included gathering and food. Uh, they included parades, picnics and they evolved from their red is *** symbolic color that symbolizes so much. It symbolizes spirituality, strength, resilience, protection. And so that is one reason you see these red foods show up at juneteenth celebration. Black people have always had agency. Black people have always made decisions for themselves, even in the most sort of heinous of circumstances. And yet that is something we are not educated around