Dear AFGE Activist,

We at AFGE are very proud to celebrate Juneteenth to honor African-American freedom and the end of slavery in America. We celebrate Juneteenth as a reminder that we oppose and reject any form of oppression. Further, we at AFGE pledge to support our members, leaders, affiliates and organizations that are working to achieve genuine equality and protect the civil, human, and workers’ rights of all people.

The history behind Juneteenth

After over 2 centuries of brutal chattel slavery, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. However, news of the end of slavery did not reach the frontier areas of the United States, in particular the state of Texas and the other southwestern states until months after the conclusion of the Civil War, which was more than 2 ½ years later.

June 19, 1865, often known as “Juneteenth Freedom Day,” is the day the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended and the enslaved were free. Since then, Juneteenth has been celebrated by African Americans for generations, and was signed into law this week as a federally recognized holiday. Prior to becoming a federal holiday, Juneteenth was celebrated in 46 states and the District of Columbia as a special day of observance in recognition of the emancipation of all of the enslaved people in the United States.

What should you do?

AFGE recognizes the historical significance of Juneteenth and supports the continued celebration of Juneteenth to provide an opportunity for our members to learn more about the past and better understand the experiences that have shaped the nation. We encourage our members and AFGE leaders to observe and celebrate Juneteenth Freedom Day with appropriate ceremonies, activities and programs.

In Solidarity,

AFGE’s Human Rights Committee and Y.O.U.N.G. Committee

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