NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — There's a growing movement to make Juneteenth an official holiday. Rep. Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis) introduced legislation to make it an official Tennessee holiday, but Democratic leaders are doubtful the bill will pass before the end of the 2020 legislative session.
Still, Brigette Jones, Curator of Social History at the Tennessee State Museum, believes the tide is turning for the holiday.
"For a long time, black people have had to shelter that side of themselves and shelter how they feel about specific issues. That’s going to come to an end," said Jones.
Juneteenth recognizes the day the last slaves in America learned of their freedom in Galveston, Texas. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, freeing slaves in the Confederacy, but back then, word didn't travel so quickly.
"It took Union soldiers to go out through the rest of the southern United States to relay the message that Emancipation had come," said Jones.
On June 19, 1965, Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas -- one of the last strongholds of slavery -- to share the message that the practice was officially over. "They began celebrating Juneteenth as technically a Texas holiday that spread through the south over time," said Jones.
But Juneteenth only really took off as a celebration in the last few decades as an African American alternative to the Fourth of July.
"So you begin to see black people say, technically I wasn’t free on July 4, 1776, but I was free by June 19, 1865," explained Jones.
To celebrate, Jones suggests more than just a barbecue.
"Putting money into the Black community and raising their esteem in the community. Also, if you have your favorite author or black poet, definitely highlight those people," she said.
Due to the Coronavirus, the Tennessee State Museum won't be able to celebrate Juneteenth in person this year, but they do plan on celebrating with a virtual town hall.
"That conversation is called Museums and Cultural Competency. So what role can museums play and how can museums aid in America becoming a bit more culturally competent?" said Jones.
One day, Jones envisions Juneteenth becoming a mainstream holiday.
"You’re starting to see now Nike and other Fortune 500 companies are beginning to give their employees that day off in honor and I think that’s a positive thing. It needs to happen," she said.
Until then, she hopes everyone will use it as a day of reflection to consider who we really are.
