Juneteenth

On Sat. June 14, members of my book club went to Oberlin OH for the Oberlin Heritage Center’s Freedom Friends walking tour.  Here we are on the steps of the First Church of Oberlin with our tour guide.

On steps of First Church

Aside from our visit, banners across Main Street announced that Oberlin was celebrating Juneteenth so there were vendors, a parade and music everywhere in Tappan Square.  It was fun but what is Juneteenth?

This morning the Lorain Morning Journal had an article by Eric Bonzar reporting Lorain’s Juneteenth Festival.  Lorain and Oberlin have been celebrating this national holiday, which symbolizes the end of slavery for 20 years.

Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President, proclaimed the freedom of all slaves within the 10 states still in rebellion with the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.  However, “it wasn’t until June of 1865 that the last enclave of slaves in Galveston, Texas, found out about it…Sometimes communications were a little slow in those days.  I reckon those slaves weren’t using YouTube or Facebook.”

Since that time Juneteenth has become a standard celebration in honor of the emancipation of slavery.  “It isn’t about African American history…it’s about American history.”

Oberlin was an abolitionist stronghold from the beginning and was active in the underground railroad system.  Oberlin College was the first in the country to accept black students and its citizens risked personal danger to protect runaways from the bounty hunters.

Prior to the Civil War the Federal Government passed legislation calling for the arrest and prosecution of any citizens harboring or helping runaways.  Oberlin didn’t stop and Lorain County passed a law prohibiting kidnapping and enforced it against the hunters of runaways.

Oberlin has a lot to be proud of!