LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – In 2021, Congress passed a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. President Joe Biden signed it into office on June 18th of that year.
The holiday was established to honor June 19, 1865, the day 2,000 union troops, led by Major General Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston and told 250,000 slaves in Texas they were free.
The announcement came weeks after the end of the American Civil War, and more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
For nearly 160 years, work has been done across Texas and the United States to celebrate Juneteenth. Co-chair of the Lubbock Juneteenth celebration Cory Powell says while there’s more that can be done, he feels there’s been significant progress.
“So much has been done to bring us together as a people,” Powell said, “so America can really live up to its proclaimed statement of liberty and justice for all, that all people are created equal.”
Work has also been done in Lubbock. Powell explains the growth he’s seen here on the South Plains since arriving nearly four decades ago.
“I came to Lubbock as a college student in 1988,” Powell said, “and even then, I was told don’t go past Avenue A, or this segment of the city won’t welcome you, and that’s not true.”
Powell says he was inspired by Dr. Opal Lee, considered by many to be the grandmother of Juneteenth.
In 2016, she set out on a over 1,400-mile journey from her home in Fort Worth to Washington, D.C. to gather support for Juneteenth to become a federal holiday.
That work inspired Cory to do more, and he hopes it will inspire others to do the same.
“One person can make a difference, and I want to be one person,” Powell said. “I encourage others to be likewise; one of those individuals who put their hands up loud and do their small part. If your small part and my small part connects, it’s better than if we individually did it.”
Now, every June 19th, the federal holiday is a celebration for all.
“It really is an opportunity for us to come together and all enjoy this great country we call home.”
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