Dear Sisters and Brothers:
In June of 2021, President Biden signed legislation to make June 19th, better known as Juneteenth, our nation’s 12th federal holiday. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, two years after the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1863, when Union troops, under the command of Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and informed the Texas enslaved African Americans that they, too, were indeed freed from chattel slavery. As, Southerners and Texas slave holders refused to recognize President Lincoln’s authority and withheld, for two years, the information that slavery had ended by order of the Emancipation Proclamation signed on January 1, 1863. General Order No. 3 read to the Texas enslaved individuals stated:
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.
By order of Major-General Granger:
F.W. Emery, Major and Assistant Adjutant-General”
Also known as Juneteenth Independence Day, Freedom Day, or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth is a day of profound meaning and importance to African Americans, as it should be to all people who value freedom. It would be over a century later, in 1980, that Texas enacted legislation to recognize the Texas originated holiday as an official state holiday. The first state to do so.
Juneteenth is of special significance to union members. Unions have always led the charge for equality, safety, respect and decency in our work and home lives. We are reminded that over 150 years later, we still have work to do to ensure that all Americans are free, that all have a voice, the ability to work for a decent day’s wage, and to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
All of us at District Lodge 142 stand in solidarity with our African American, Sisters and Brothers. We celebrate Juneteenth, and we hope that you will take time to enjoy the company of family and friends while also reflecting on the history of this holiday, and your role as union members in the struggle for freedom and equality. With best wishes we remain
Sincerely and fraternally,
John M. Coveny, Jr.
President-Directing General Chair
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