Juneteenth event set for Saturday

One hundred forty-nine years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued and 31 years after the event was first recognized with a sanctioned holiday, Terrebonne Parish will host, for the first time locally, an official Juneteenth celebration on Saturday at the park near Dumas Auditorium, 301 W. Tunnel Blvd., 11 a.m. til 7 p.m.

The day will feature music, speeches, arts and crafts, and an essay contest centered on the black experience and social progress made by that segment of the population.

Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation on Sept. 22, 1862, with an effective date of Jan. 1, 1863. The problem with that executive order, which set the stage for the abolishment of slavery in North America, was twofold.

First, the United States and Confederate States were already engaged in a Civil War that would officially continue for another 2 years and 99 days, with the final shots fired more than two months after that.

The second problem was that a slow spreading of news combined with already established cultural patterns meant that no one seemed to pay attention and many slaves were never told or offered freedom.

It was on June 18 and 19, 1865, that Union Gen. Gordon Granger and 2,000 troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take possession of that state and begin what would ultimately become a national enforcement of emancipation.

Former slaves in Galveston took to the streets in celebration. But the observance of Juneteenth, a blending of the words June and 19th, went largely unnoticed for a century.

In 1980, the State of Texas for the first time acknowledged Juneteenth as an official holiday. Since then, endorsed recognition spread to Louisiana and other former slave states. Today, 39 states mark Juneteenth as an official historical and cultural holiday. Even still, many local communities and their residents have little idea about the day and its significance.

Through casual conversation among a group of community leaders it was noted that while other Louisiana communities have official Juneteenth observances, Terrebonne Parish did not. Combining their personal resources, the event was organized.

Terrebonne Parish Councilwoman Arlanda Williams said the intention is to primarily offer a lesson to area youth, encourage them to understand how history applies to them and the need for them to become responsible adults.

“In order for you to know where you are going, you need to know where you came from,” Williams said. “It is all about bringing the community together. All races, because we have a lot of people, black, white and Native Americans that [should] participate in this as a cultural event.”

Williams said that planning for the Juneteenth celebration had been taking place for a month as a combined effort led by herself, and members of the Houma Economic and Community Development Corp., including Terrebonne Housing Authority Director Wayne Thibodeaux, businessman Clarence Williams, and Houma resident Tyrika Porter. The event also gained endorsement and co-sponsorship last Wednesday from the Terrebonne Parish Council.