By A.J. Dugger III
A celebration of Juneteenth, an annual event that honors the freeing of African-Americans in slave-holding states in 1863, will be held in late June at Fort Negley. The Nashville fort was built by 13,000 black soldiers. The slaves in Galveston, Texas did not learn of former President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation until June 1865. The Juneteenth phrase, combining June and 19, was coined to celebrate when the slaves in Texas finally learned of their freedom.
“This is an effort to provide young people opportunities and outlets to express their opinion and to remind them to learn the truth and the truth can set you free,” said Tommie Morton-Young, founder of the African-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Tennessee. “We need to keep our young people aware of how important education is to their freedom. A lot of our young people are missing out on developmental activities.”
The June 28 celebration is sponsored by TAGS (African-American Genealogical and Historical of Tennessee, Inc./Ind.) in cooperation with Ft. Negley and community agencies and organizations. The event begins at 10 A.M.
Juneteenth celebrates the victory of The Union Army at the forts where the Union won. The following statement was documented regarding Ft. Negley. “The Fort and blacks are inextricable, for 13,000 black soldiers helped to build and defend the largest Fort west of (Washington) D.C. during the War of Rebellion.”
During the first Juneteenth, Frederick Douglass suggested that African-Americans be allowed to celebrate their own freedom just as the Jews celebrate The Passover. Years earlier, in July 1852, Douglas went into even more detail on this in a speech called, “What to the slave is the fourth of July?” In this historic speech, he explained how the 4th of July was celebrated for people who were free, while African-Americans clearly were not. He later endorsed Juneteenth as “our own Independence Day…a day of celebration, motivation, learning, and family unity.”
The celebration will feature a Youth Essay Reading Contest. “The contest is for young people ages 12 through 17,” explained Young. “The theme of the essay is ‘Education is Emancipation.’ They are to write 500 words on a two-page essay. Cash awards will be given to the winners.”
Games, information booths and a tour of the Fort will be part of Juneteenth.
“There will be free food and a tour of the fort. It’s really a jubilee day,” said Young. “If families have photographs and collections of their families, we’ll have tables of displays. We encourage families to have family reunions. There will be picnic tables and tents for family reunions. We’ll have an actor in costume to re-enact Frederick Douglass. The children and adults can meet ‘Frederick Douglass.’”
Groups supporting Juneteenth include JUMP (Jefferson Street United Merchants Project), Metro Council, Black Clarksville, Nashville Public Library, Nashville Public Schools, Nashville Public Television, National Council of African-American Women, Neighborhood Associations, and TAGS.