LOCALIZE IT: Juneteenth comes amid efforts to limit discussions of America's racial history

Juneteenth Explainer (© 2021 Stuart Villanueva/The Galveston County Daily News)

EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:

It has been two years since Juneteenth became a federal holiday. This year's celebrations, which mark the day when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free, will be held amid political efforts to limit discussions of America's racial history.

Here are some tips for covering Juneteenth and events related to it.

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READ AP'S LATEST COVERAGE

What is Juneteenth? A look at how it became a federal holiday

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PUBLISHABLE CONTEXT

Juneteenth marks when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free. That occurred on June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers told enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, the news of their freedom.

Although President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation freed those enslaved in 1863, it could not be enforced in many places in the South until the Civil War ended in 1865. Even then, some white people who had profited from their unpaid labor were reluctant to share the news.

Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger and his troops arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, to say the war had ended and that the enslaved people were free — more than two months after Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in Virginia.

Slavery was permanently abolished six months later, when Georgia ratified the 13th Amendment. And the next year, the now-free people of Galveston started celebrating Juneteenth, an observance that has continued and spread around the world.

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed a bill passed by Congress.

Juneteenth is a blend of the words June and nineteenth. The holiday has also been called Juneteenth Independence Day, Freedom Day, second Independence Day and Emancipation Day.

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PLACES WHERE JUNETEENTH IS A STATE HOLIDAY

Juneteenth is a paid holiday for state employees in:

Texas

New York

Virginia

Washington

Nevada

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CONSIDER THESE REPORTING TIPS

— Is your local government hosting a Juneteenth celebration? If not, perhaps celebrations are being held through local churches or community centers that you can contact. Find out what Juneteenth means to people in your community.

— There have been recent efforts across the country to limit the discussion of America's racial history. These efforts are showing up in legislation, in local school board decisions, school libraires and elsewhere. Ask people in your community if the meaning or experience of Juneteenth has been impacted by these efforts.

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SOME PREVIOUS AP COVERAGE OF JUNETEENTH

Juneteenth celebrations emphasize ending racial disparities

Black Americans living abroad reflect on Juneteenth holiday

Despite push, states slow to make Juneteenth a paid holiday

Opal Lee’s Juneteenth dream came true, but she isn’t done

Black Americans laud Juneteenth holiday, say more work ahead

Biden signs bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday

Juneteenth: A day of joy and pain - and now national action

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SOME PREVIOUS AP COVERAGE ON EFFORTS TO LIMIT DISCUSSION OF RACIAL HISTORY

Black parents seek schools affirming their history amid bans

Report finds democracy for Black Americans is under attack

So much buzz, but what is critical race theory?

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Localize It is an occasional feature produced by The Associated Press for its customers’ use. Questions can be directed to Katie Oyan at koyan@ap.org.