As a Louisiana-born woman whose family lineage is a diverse mix of European slave owner and African freed woman of color, Juneteenth holds a profound significance for me.
It's a time to reflect on the journey of those who fought for freedom and helped shape my life. Moreover, it's a call to action for everyone to continue progressing toward total freedom, equality and justice for all.
Denella Ri'chard has been the host of the TV show "Traveling with Denella Ri'chard"
since 2020. She is a former executive of Holland America Line,
Norwegian Cruise Line and Hilton, and is also a consultant and industry
speaker.
I have been fortunate to have had a career in the travel industry, and I know many of Travel Weekly's readers from my time at Hilton Worldwide, Holland America Group and now with my televised travel show, "Traveling With Denella Ri'chard." It is in the last of these capacities that I recorded a television special focusing on Juneteeth, which will be airing in 63 cities throughout the month of June.
In the special, I look at three cities that are both great summer destinations and have a special connection to the struggle for freedom: Galveston, Texas; Beaufort, S.C.; and Tampa.
On the show, I take viewers on the Galveston Island Convention and Visitors Bureau's Freedom Walk Tour, an immersive experience that brings visitors on a march of freedom to the sites of emancipation, where Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger read the historic General Order No. 3. (more on that in a moment).
On St. Helena Island near Beaufort, we visit the Penn Center, formerly Penn School, one of the nation's first schools for formerly enslaved people. It is one of the most significant African American institutions in existence today as well as a National Historic Landmark District.
And in Tampa, we check out Ersula's History Shop's Black History Walking Tour and In-Shop Experience, which features the Historic Black Central Avenue neighborhood and brings visitors on a journey through time from the city's version of the Harlem Renaissance to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond.
While I know many readers are familiar with the history behind Juneteenth, I also know that many do not know the background of our most recently adopted national holiday. Here is a quick primer for those who would like to better understand its importance and the important role that Galveston and the state of Texas, in particular, played.
In June 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, making Juneteenth -- also called Freedom Day -- a legal public holiday. Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States.
Why June 19?
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which was a turning point for humanity. With the drying of ink on parchment, the hope of freedom for millions of enslaved African Americans was anticipated.
But it was not an overnight process, and years went by as Union Army soldiers, including United States Colored Troops, began traversing the land to tell of the news. Consequently, awareness of emancipation came at different times throughout the slave states from 1862 through 1865.
It is documented that Texas was the last state of the Confederacy in which enslaved people officially gained their freedom. And Galveston played an important role: It was there, on June 19, 1865, that Granger issued that General Order No. 3, which began with the text, "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 ... ."
Notice of the Emancipation Proclamation was placed around the city at public buildings such as Ashton Villa & Reedy Chapel A.M.E. Church.
Sam Collins III, a certified tour ambassador and historian who showed us around in Galveston, noted that "absolute equality" is not about every person having equal results but rather that every person has "an equal opportunity to grow and develop into the very best version of him or herself without hurdles or barriers hindering that growth. We're still in the pursuit of absolute equality."
One who persistently pursued that vision was Fort Worth, Texas, native Opal Lee, known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth." At 94 years old, she saw her dream to make Juneteenth a federally recognized public holiday realized as she stood alongside Biden when he signed the act. This significant milestone was the result of relentless years of petitions and campaigning and rests as a testament to the journey toward equality and justice.
Juneteenth, Freedom Day, is a moment in American history that all Americans and companies celebrate (or should celebrate!). For businesses, it is more than just a day off; it is a time to enlighten employees about the historical context and importance of this day and to foster a more inclusive and empathetic workplace culture that can extend for generations. Individually, Juneteenth is a day to pause to appreciate our progress as a nation, celebrating the emancipation that has allowed us to come this far.
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