Positive affirmations, food, and fun were in full effect at The Patch’s 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration! Hosted by the Patch Partners young professionals’ group, this year’s celebration offered our youth a break from normal evening programs to celebrate the occasion together. Rain threatened to thwart the day’s plans, but a quick relocation to the gym saved the day. Patch kids and volunteers were all smiles while enjoying dinner, dancing, and games together.
Juneteenth (short for “June nineteenth”) is a holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. On June 19, 1865, troops from the Union Army arrived in Galveston, TX to inform the last enslaved people within the Confederate states that they were free. While the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect more than two years earlier, slavery continued to operate in areas that were still politically under Confederate control. It took Union troops over two years to travel through the South to enforce the proclamation and spread the news of freedom. As the westernmost rebelling state, Texas was the last place they arrived. The announcement freed over 250,000 enslaved African Americans in Texas, and while the national transition out of slavery was not seamless or instant, the newly freed people of Galveston created Juneteenth to commemorate this important turning point in their lives and American history. After being celebrated by African American communities for more than a century, Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021.
The Cabbage Patch began celebrating Juneteenth that same year, recognizing the significance of this day for many of the people we serve. This year, our visual arts program created the artwork for the large celebration, while the education department exposed our youth to Black poets, authors, and artists under the theme of “Black Voices.” By celebrating openly, we strive to acknowledge the importance of Juneteenth to many of our families’ experience and seize the opportunity to educate everyone about its relevance to our national history. This means a lot to young people like King*, a second-generation Patch kid who said, “I appreciate that The Patch celebrated [Juneteenth]. It’s important to know that there is more to Black history than just February.” It’s safe to say that this year’s celebration was a huge success. We appreciate the Patch Partners for making this event possible, and everyone who came to help us celebrate!
*Names changed to protect the privacy of those we serve.
Sources:
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture – “The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth”
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture – “What is Juneteenth?”