Don’t Let the Left Shackle You With Juneteenth Propaganda

Juneteenth Marks Emancipation in Texas and Sparks Discussion on Historical Credit

On June 19, 1865, U.S. Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Texas, informing residents that all slaves were free in accordance with the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln two years earlier. The announcement reached Texas after the Confederate surrender at Appomattox, as Union forces took control of the state. This event is now observed as Juneteenth.

The Union Army that enforced the order included soldiers from multiple racial and ethnic groups. Historical records show that Black, white, Asian, and Hispanic troops served in Union ranks, while members of the same groups also fought for the Confederacy. The Civil War resulted in the deaths of 642,427 Union soldiers.

Legislative Background and Party Positions

The 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, received support from all Republican members of Congress and from some Northern Democrats. In the House of Representatives, the final vote was 119-56, with every Republican voting in favor and 23 percent of Democrats supporting the measure. The amendment was ratified in December 1865.

After the war, Southern states enacted Black Codes and later Jim Crow laws that restricted the rights of freed slaves. Anti-miscegenation statutes in multiple states prohibited interracial marriage until the Supreme Court struck them down in 1967. These measures were enacted and defended primarily by Democratic officials in the South during that period.

The Republican and Democratic parties experienced major realignments in the 20th century. Many Southern Democrats shifted to the Republican Party as positions on civil rights diverged between the parties’ national platforms and their regional bases.

Federal Recognition

In 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. The official name is Juneteenth National Independence Day. Some observers have noted that the title uses the word “independence,” a term also associated with July 4, 1776. The legislation passed with bipartisan support in Congress.

Institutional Presentations

The National Museum of African American History and Culture maintains a page on Juneteenth that describes the day’s origins and emphasizes the experiences of people of African descent. The page does not assign credit or blame to specific political parties or name individual white abolitionists. It focuses on the themes of ancestral sacrifice, collective struggle, and spiritual resilience.

Differing Interpretations

Author Ibram X. Kendi has stated that Black people freed themselves through resistance rather than being saved by white people. Historian Frederick Douglass, in a 19th-century address, credited white abolitionists alongside Black advocates for advancing the cause of emancipation, describing their efforts as motivated by principles of human dignity rather than race alone.

Slavery existed in many societies before and after the American era. Ancient Rome enslaved an estimated five to ten million people, most of them European. Barbary pirates from North Africa enslaved more than one million Europeans between the 16th and 19th centuries. Indigenous societies in the Americas and other regions also practiced forms of enslavement. Several African nations, including Benin and Ghana, have issued formal statements acknowledging their historical roles in the transatlantic slave trade. Contemporary data from international monitoring organizations indicate that the highest rates of modern slavery are found in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.

Personal Accounts

Ryan Bomberger has written that he was adopted on June 19 and that his family includes members of white, Black, Asian, Native American, and mixed ancestries. Genetic testing reported by Bomberger showed approximately 59 percent European ancestry, 37 percent African ancestry, and smaller percentages of Asian and Mexican ancestry. He has described his Christian faith as shaping his view that racism constitutes a moral failing and that unity requires a shared religious framework rather than secular ideologies such as critical race theory.

Bomberger has also referenced his adoptive father, Henry Bomberger, as an example of cross-racial family bonds. These personal details appear in his book and related documentary projects.

Observance and Terminology

Juneteenth is now marked by public events, educational programs, and official commemorations at federal, state, and local levels. Discussions continue over how the holiday should be framed, what historical elements should receive emphasis, and whether its name should parallel or remain distinct from other national independence commemorations. Primary sources from 1865, congressional voting records, and demographic data provide the factual basis for these ongoing exchanges.