Juneteenth, also known as “Independence Day” or “Freedom Day”, commemorates the June 19, 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery and the emancipation of African American slaves.
On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation effectively ending slavery on January 1, 1863, however, the Proclamation had little effect in the State of Texas until two and half years later. It was on June 19, 1865, that Union General Gordon Granger read General Orders No. 3 to the people of Galveston, Texas:
“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaved are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.”
Juneteenth in Oregon
The celebration of Juneteenth Oregon dates back to 1945 when the late and beloved community leader, Clara Peoples, introduced the tradition from Muskogee, Oklahoma, to her co-workers at the Kaiser Shipyards in Portland. Upon moving to Portland in 1945, Clara Peoples was surprised to learn that the Juneteenth holiday was unknown in this part of the country.
Northwest Coastal Housing will be closed June 19, 2020
Northwest Coastal Housing will be closed June 19, 2020, in observance of the Juneteenth Holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Here is a great video about the history of Juneteenth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu6ntwHws5g
