Google Doodle today: This annual US holiday celebrates the liberation of enslaved Black people.
Google Doodle today commemorated the US holiday, Juneteenth. Father-son duo Jerome and Jeromyah Jones sketched the caricature. Why is Juneteenth celebrated? What happened on June 19, 1865?
This annual US holiday celebrates the liberation of enslaved Black people. On June 19, 1865, 2,50,000 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas received the news of the official end of the Civil War and their slavery.
The Emancipation Proclamation, which ended slavery, was signed by Abraham Lincoln in 1863. However, many Black Americans remained in the clutches of slavery in Texas and other confederate states.
"General Granger, and his Union troops, marched to Texas and issued General Order No. 3, which announced the news of the Proclamation," Google Doodle's website read.
After hearing new news, the slaves got their freedom and they migrated to other parts of the country to start their new lives over. In 1866, thousands came back to Galveston on June 19 to observe what they called Jubilee Day. In 1872, facing protests over their annual journey, they bought 10 acre of land and named it Emancipation Park, which became the site of their Juneteenth celebration.
Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas in 1980. In 2021, a 5,000 square-foot mural was installed near where General Granger had announced the news of the slaves' freedom.
"Working on the topic of Juneteenth means a lot to us because it’s a great milestone in the African American struggle for liberation. This notification that our ancestors received 157 years ago is an essential catalyst for contemplating what freedom looks like for us today as a people. The celebration is a special commemoration because it highlights good news for a change that was given to a people who were once in chains," the artiste who made the caricature told Google Doodle website.
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 "Google Doodle today: Juneteenth is a holiday meant for remembrance and resilience, and a call-to-action for progress.")
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