NOVA Spotlights Juneteenth Commemoration

Government offices, courts, banks and educational institutions were closed Monday, June 19, for Juneteenth…officially known as Juneteenth National Independence Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day or Liberation Day celebrating the emancipation of those enslaved in the United States.

For those who know, and for those who may not, Juneteenth commemorates the day, June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce emancipation. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves on January 1, 1863. To learn more, read about the Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth Order on the National Archives webpage.

Juneteenth has long been celebrated in Black communities across the United States. The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture has noted that Juneteenth “marks our country’s second Independence Day.” Though it has long been celebrated among the African American community, it is marginalized in history and remains largely unknown to the wider public. The legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of “deep hope and urgent organizing in uncertain times.”

In October 2020 Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and the Virginia general assembly made Juneteenth an official state holiday. President Joseph Biden signed bipartisan legislation in June 2021 establishing Juneteenth as the newest Federal Holiday.

We hope the wider NOVA community celebrated this day as a time for reflection, volunteering and learning more. Celebrating Juneteenth – NMAAHC

Submitted by:
Dr. Mia Harper, Associate Director of DEI, MHarper@nvcc.edu 
Hoang Nguyen, Associate Director of External Communications, HDNguyen@nvcc.edu