NEXT WEEK, THE NATION CELEBRATES CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAY OF JUNETEETH, COMMEMORATING THE ENDING OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES. THE DATE, JUNE 19TH, MARKS THE DAY IN 1865 WHEN THE ORDER OF EMANCIPATION FINALLY REACHED THE STATE OF TEXAS. THE VERY NEXT YEAR, FREEDMEN ORGANIZED THE FIRST JUBILEE DAY, AND JUNETEENTH HAS BEEN CELEBRATED EVER SINCE, WITH TEXAS BECOMING THE FIRST STATE TO RECOGNIZE IT AS AN OFFICIAL HOLIDAY. HERE IN MISSISSIPPI, FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS HONORING JUNETEENTH WILL BE HELD ACROSS THE STATE...AND WE ENCOURAGE ALL TO TAKE PART. ONE OF THOSE, THE JUNETEENTH MISSISSIPPI HOMECOMING, WILL BE HELD IN JACKSON AT TOUGALOO COLLEGE...WITH FOUR DAYS CHALKED FULL OF CELEBRATIONS AND EVENTS. BUT DESPITE JUNETEENTH FINALLY BECOMING AN OFFICIAL FEDERAL HOLIDAY IN 2021, ONLY TWENTY FIVE STATES RECOGNIZE IT AS AN OFFICIAL STATE HOLIDAY. MISSISSIPPI IS NOT ONE OF THEM. MULTIPLE BILLS WERE INTRODUCED THIS YEAR DURING MISSISSIPPI'S LEGISLATIVE SESSION...TO MAKE JUNETEENTH AN OFFICIAL HOLIDAY...BUT ALL DIED IN COMMITTEE. IF WE AS A STATE TRULY BELIEVE THAT OUR HISTORY IS WORTH PRESERVING AND REMEMBERING...THEN IT MUST INCLUDE THE HISTORY OF ALL MISSISSIPPIANS. UNTIL THEN, WE ENCOURAGE ALL TO TAKE PART IN THE CELEBRATION...OR TO
Opinion
Editorial: Juneteenth goes on despite lack of state recognition
Updated: 5:30 PM CDT Jun 14, 2024
Next week, the nation celebrates the holiday of Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. The date, June 19, marks the day in 1865 when the Order of Emancipation finally reached the state of Texas.The very next year, freedmen organized the first Jubilee Day and Juneteenth has been celebrated ever since, with Texas becoming the first state to recognize it as an official holiday.Here in Mississippi, festivals and celebrations honoring Juneteenth will be held across the state, and we encourage all to take part. One of those, the Juneteenth Mississippi Homecoming, will be held in Jackson at Tougaloo College, with four days full of celebrations and events.But, despite Juneteenth finally becoming an official federal holiday in 2021, only 25 states recognize it as an official state holiday. Mississippi is not one of them.Multiple bills were introduced this year during Mississippi’s legislative session to make Juneteenth an official holiday, but all died in committee.If we as a state truly believe that our history is worth preserving and remembering, then it must include the history of all Mississippians. Until then, we encourage all to take part in the celebration, or to at least take a moment to appreciate its significance.
JACKSON, Miss. — Next week, the nation celebrates the holiday of Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. The date, June 19, marks the day in 1865 when the Order of Emancipation finally reached the state of Texas.
The very next year, freedmen organized the first Jubilee Day and Juneteenth has been celebrated ever since, with Texas becoming the first state to recognize it as an official holiday.
Here in Mississippi, festivals and celebrations honoring Juneteenth will be held across the state, and we encourage all to take part. One of those, the Juneteenth Mississippi Homecoming, will be held in Jackson at Tougaloo College, with four days full of celebrations and events.
But, despite Juneteenth finally becoming an official federal holiday in 2021, only 25 states recognize it as an official state holiday. Mississippi is not one of them.
Multiple bills were introduced this year during Mississippi’s legislative session to make Juneteenth an official holiday, but all died in committee.
If we as a state truly believe that our history is worth preserving and remembering, then it must include the history of all Mississippians. Until then, we encourage all to take part in the celebration, or to at least take a moment to appreciate its significance.
