Historical Figures
Who helped push for Juneteenth to become a national holiday?
Activists like Opal Lee
Who issued the Emancipation Proclamation?
Abraham Lincoln
This song was released as a single in 1989 and served as the theme for Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing".
Fight the Power-Public Enemy
The period immediately after Juneteenth is known as the ‘Scatter.’ What happened during this time?
In the following weeks, formerly enslaved people left Texas in great numbers to find family members and make their way to the postbellum United States.
In which city did General Granger make his historic announcement?
Galveston, Texas
What year was Juneteenth recognized as federal holiday?
2021
This song, often referred to as the Black National Anthem, is commonly performed at Juneteenth events.
"Lift Every Voice and Sing”
During the first year Juneteenth was celebrated, how was it observed?
Original observances included prayer meetings, the singing of spirituals, and wearing new clothes as a way of representing newfound freedom.
Who first introduced legislation to the U.S. House of Representatives recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday?
Barbara-Rose Collins.
Which U.S. state was the first to officially recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday?
Texas
This song was composed in under an hour, would become Nina Simones' first battle cry for the civil rights movement.
Mississippi Goddam
Juneteenth is the first new federal holiday since which other federal holiday was adopted in 1983?
MLK Jr. Day
Who created the first version of the Juneteenth flag in 1997?
The first version was created in 1997 by activist Ben Haith.
In which decade did Juneteenth celebrations start growing nationwide again?
The 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement
Racial tensions, rioting in the streets and the murder of an iconic civil-rights leader inspired this singer to release the most politically charged song of his career. What is the name of the singer and the song he released?
“Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)" by James Brown
This important march planned by Martin Luther King Jr. was purposely scheduled to coincide with the Juneteenth date. What is the name of the march?
The Poor People’s March. March participants took the celebrations back to their home states and soon the holiday was reborn (Jim Crow laws and the Great Depression dampened the celebrations in the early 20th century).
What is the name of the founder of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation?
Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr.
Which US colony was the first to abolish slavery in 1777?
Vermont became the first colony to ban slavery.
The song was described as "a declaration of war" and "the beginning of the civil rights movement" by Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun.
Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday
How many enslaved people were estimated to be living in Texas in 1865?
250,000