Historian shares significance of Juneteenth, great grandfather's fight for freedom
CHICAGO (CBS)-- While Juneteenth is now the nation's youngest federal holiday, CBS 2's Mugo Odigwe has a story that goes back more than a hundred years.
Odigwe spoke with Christopher Reed, a historian, who shared a the story of his great grandfather and great grandmother who were slaves in Kentucky.
He also shared his great grandfather, Private Henry Slaughter's fight against slavery.
"After he put on his blue uniform and fought against Robert E. Lee's army in Virginia, the Congress of the U.S. was embarrassed enough to free wives and children of these soldiers," Reed said. "His unit was there when the south surrendered."
Reed shared a copy of his great grandfather's Civil War discharge.
Reed said some enslaved people were freed, even before the Civil War ended.
In Washington D.C., the population was freed in April of 1861.
Then, a large number of people were freed by the Emancipation Proclamation which was issued in January 1863.
On June 19 1865, just a few months after the Civil War ended, thousands of enslaved African Americans in Galveston Bay, Texas, finally learned they were free.
That day came to be known as Juneteenth.
"Juneteenth is a symbol that America is making progress. That America is not going to forget its past sins. That America is going to atone for past sins," Reed said.
Sins that continued through the Civil Rights Movement, which saw the emergence of leaders like Dr. King.
Today, more Americans are aware of the history behind Juneteenth.
Just last year, it was officially recognized by President Joe Biden making June 19 a federal holiday.
"The next phase is real freedom; real liberation and I don't know when that's coming," Reed said.
But Reed knows what that would look like.
"The end of this story is the enjoyment of equal access to opportunities in America," He said. "Where people are actually judged by talent and aspirations and production and not by complexion."
Reed said one small everyone can do to keep the freedom movement alive is to make sure the real story of slavery and more Black history id taught in schools across the country. He also has a reminder:
Slavery in America didn't end on Juneteenth, it ended months later in December of 1865 when the 13th Amendment was ratified.