During the summer months, while many Americans are welcoming in the season and celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence declaring Americas independence from Great Britian in 1776 with fireworks, bbq, parades, trips to the shore and baseball games, African Americans across the United States are also celebrating the official 1865 abolition of slavery with speeches, parades, picnics and family reunions.

June 19th, also known as Juneteenth or Emancipation Day, is an American holiday honoring African American heritage and commemorating the official day in 1865 that Union Genral Dordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston Texas to take possession of the state and enforce the emancipation of its slaves. Until that time, news of the Emmancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862, had not made way down to Texas and therefore, slaves there were not informed of their freedom. According to those African-Americans who had been liberated from the bondage of slavery, until all slaves were emancipated, one could not be free.

For many years only twelve states recognized Juneteenth as an official holiday but as of May 2009, 31 states have recognized Freedom Day as either a state holiday or state holiday observance including:

Texas

Arkansas

Massachusetts

Connecticut

Alaska

California

Colorado

Delaware

Florida

Idaho

Illinois

Iowa

Kansas

Louisiana

Michigan

Missouri

New Jersey

New Mexico

North Carolina

Oklahoma

Oregon

Tennessee

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Wyoming

Washington, DC

In honor of Juneteenth, and the diversity of the American melting pot, J&O Fabrics offers an array of patriotic U.S.A. and African prints celebrating the liberation of a people and the fabric of a nation.

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