Juneteenth is a reminder that freedom is not a one-time event, but a journey.
That’s the message that was delivered by state Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson at Lawrence Township’s annual Juneteenth celebration on June 18.
About 50 people gathered for the celebration, which also featured the Lawrence High School Gospel Choir.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865 – the day that slaves in Galveston, Texas, were told that the Civil War had ended and they were free, Reynolds-Jackson said. They were the last to know.
President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863 that declared freedom for all enslaved people in the 13 states in the Confederacy – but not for those who lived in the Union states, she said.
Freedom was delayed for some enslaved people because of the time lag in notifying the slaves that they had been freed, she said. It depended on the arrival of Union Army troops to make the announcement.
The 250,000 slaves in Texas were the last to know they were free, because it took more than two years for Union troops to arrive in Texas, Reynolds-Jackson said.
“But let’s be clear,” she started. “Even then on June 19, 1865, freedom was not fully realized for all.”
True freedom did not arrive until the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was ratified on Dec. 6, 1865, abolishing slavery in the United States. The 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868, stated that all persons born in the United States – which included formerly enslaved persons – or who were naturalized, were American citizens. The 15th Amendment in 1870 gave Black men the right to vote.
Even after emancipation and the adoption of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, Black Americans continued to face – and still face – barriers to full citizenship and equality, Reynolds-Jackson said.
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” she said. “Here we are 160 years later, standing at the crossroads.
“Juneteenth reminds us that freedom is not a one-time event. It is a journey. We honor that journey by remembering the past and by taking responsibility for our present and future.”
Whether it is talking about delayed freedom in 1865 or modern injustices that have taken the lives of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd or Ahmaud Abery, the fight for equal rights remains, she said.
“As we celebrate our freedom and honor our heritage, we will continue to redeem the dream and continue building our communities,” she said.
“We will continue to fight to end educational inequalities and continue to build Black economic wealth. We will support one another, because the universe is big enough for all of us to win.”
