In this engaging discussion, Mark Anthony Neal, a renowned professor of African and African American Studies at Duke University and host of Left of Black, dives into the rich history of Juneteenth. He explains the significance of June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved individuals in the U.S. learned of their freedom. Neal explores the evolution of Juneteenth from a regional observance to a national holiday, addressing the ongoing struggles faced by Black communities and the complexities of celebrating freedom while acknowledging the past.
32:33
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Juneteenth's Delayed Freedom
Juneteenth marks the day enslaved people in Texas were officially freed, a full two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
The Emancipation Proclamation was more a strategic wartime move than a genuine end to slavery across all states.
insights INSIGHT
General Order No.3's Complex Impact
General Order No. 3 declared formerly enslaved people "absolutely equal" in rights and shifted relationships from master-slave to employer-laborer.
This order warned freedpeople to work for wages and not rely on idleness, foreshadowing restrictive Black Codes and sharecropping.
insights INSIGHT
Juneteenth's Cultural Roots
Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas a year after freedom was announced and grew nationally as Black migration spread.
The holiday was deeply rooted in Black community culture and symbolized freedom through joyous public gatherings and rituals.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In 'On Juneteenth', Annette Gordon-Reed delves into the complex history of Texas and the event of Juneteenth, which marks the day when Major General Gordon Granger announced the end of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865. The book is a blend of historical essays and memoir, examining the treatment of African Americans in Texas from the Spanish conquest to the present. Gordon-Reed challenges the myth of heroic white Texans and highlights the integral role of slavery in the formation of the Republic of Texas. She also shares her personal experiences growing up in a segregated Texas and her role in integrating public schools. The book explores the ongoing struggle for racial equality and the significance of Juneteenth as a national holiday, symbolizing the long journey towards racial justice in America[2][3][5].
Black reconstruction
W.E.B. Du Bois
Published in 1935, 'Black Reconstruction in America' challenges the dominant views of the time by portraying the Reconstruction period as a critical time of Black advancement and a near-revolution of anti-racism and societal change. Du Bois argues that African Americans were active agents of their emancipation and that the period was a second American revolution aimed at democratizing the South. The book critiques traditional historians' views and highlights the significance of African American agency in building U.S. democracy, despite the ultimate failure of Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow laws[3][4][5].
June 19, 1865 - Galveston, Texas, a general in the Union army announced to the people of Texas that all enslaved African Americans were free. Over time the date has grown from a local to a national holiday, a marker of freedom, of family, and of joy and continued struggle that emerged from this cauldron of the war.
Don's guest today is Mark Anthony Neal, Professor of African & African American Studies at Duke University and host of Left of Black.
Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long.
Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.
American History Hit 
