What does "Freedom" mean? Poets, scholars, philosophers and theologians have been arguing the word's meaning for centuries. And it's possible that different people may hold a differing definition of "freedom" in their hearts. Nevertheless, freedom is important to all people, however they may define it.
In one very important way, on this day in 1865, America took another step toward its promise of freedom. Federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce President Lincoln's executive order, The Emancipation Proclamation—which had become effective a year and a half earlier. Texas—one of the Confederate States—deliberately had not informed its slaves that they had been liberated. Union General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston to announce (and enforce) the law.
Juneteenth—a portmanteau of "June" and "Nineteenth"—has been celebrated in Texas from the very beginning. Throughout the Twentieth Century, its celebration has grown in popularity, mostly within African-American communities. In 2021, President Joe Biden declared Juneteenth a National Holiday, at which point it has become more commonly understood and appreciated.
The photo above shows an open gate to a prison for enslaved Americans in Alexandria, Virginia. While the realities of slavery are devastating and depressing, Juneteenth is meant to commemorate and celebrate a good day—when America trudged another step towards Equality for All.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248