On June 19, 1865, just after the end of the Civil War, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and read General Order No. 3 informing Texas slaves that the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed two and a half years earlier by President Lincoln. June 19th has long been referred to as "Juneteenth" in the African-American community and is the oldest national commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Since 1979, Juneteenth has been an official Texas holiday.  Last week, President Biden signed a new law making Juneteenth the 11th Federal Holiday, a commemoration that will now be celebrated all over the country. Take a dive into this uniquely American holiday with Linda Jann Lewis, a distinguished African American activist and leader in Texas who’s family has celebrated Juneteenth for more than 100 years on the very plantation where her ancestors were enslaved. In a storied career in Texas politics, Linda served Texas governors from both parties, the famed Lt. Governor Bob Bullock, was the fist African American Elections Administrator in Texas, and, among other things, helped found KAZI, a listener-supported, community radio station in Austin, Texas. And, best of all, she’s an amazing story teller and human being. Jump into the newest American holiday on this Special Juneteenth Episode of the American Shoreline Podcast!
Only on ASPN.