Juneteenth, a celebration of the end of slavery in the United States, will be commemorated in the coming days.
According to tradition, Juneteenth is observed on June 19 because it was on that date in 1865 that Union soldiers arriving in Galveston, Texas, at the end of the Civil War told African-American slaves there that they were free. No one knows with certainty how long the holiday has been celebrated. Since that date falls on a Sunday this year, the federal observance will be moved to Monday.
Area residents will have the chance to participate in several events recognizing the holiday in the coming days.
Steubenville's Juneteenth festival has been expanded to four days, and will feature activities, music, entertainment, food, informational booths, health screenings, vendors and speakers who will help to educate area residents about the importance of the holiday. The area around Second Baptist Church at 717 Adams St. will be the location for activities Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, the venue shifts to Harding Stadium, where a "Rejoice and Celebrate" program will be held from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. "Reflect and Celebrate" will be the theme on Monday, when the venue shifts to the Berkman Amphitheater.
Weirton's commemoration of the holiday is set for Saturday and Sunday at the Weirton Event Center. The event will include musical performances, vendors, food and other activities on Saturday and a joint service between the congregations of St. Peter's AME and Morning Star Baptist churches at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Ours is a nation based on the fundamental truth that all people are free. We view it as a God-given right.
But the United States, despite what was written in the Declaration of Independence, was not founded on the basis of liberty for all. Millions of African-Americans remained in slavery after we became a country.
That was a terrible, ugly stain on this nation -- but, as historians understand, compromising with slave states when the Constitution was written in 1787 and ratified in 1788 probably was the only way the young republic could survive.
It was not until the Civil War that Americans confronted the evil of slavery head-on. And, with President Abraham Lincoln leading the way through the Emancipation Proclamation, Americans finally abolished slavery through the 13th Amendment, in 1865.
For too long after that, bigotry remained common in our country. It still rears its ugly head too frequently, and we must continue to work toward the day when that will end forever.
But Juneteenth celebrates the time when we as a nation -- we Americans -- declared institutional discrimination had no place in our land. We as a people agreed that, at long last, it was time to live up to the words of the Declaration of Independence.
That is something worth recognizing.
Juneteenth should be celebrated by all Americans -- as a way to mark an important day in our nation's history and as a reminder there remains a lot of work that needs to be done.