“Oh, freedom over me,…”
How to enroll
You’re here. Consider yourself enrolled. Study at your own pace.
Why Juneteenth University?
More than a few of Juneteenth’s well-intentioned warriors are heavily armed with misinformation. Juneteenth University was founded to correct that dilemma. Our singular mission is to improve appreciation for Juneteenth by irradiating misinformation about the celebration’s origin. All lessons were culled from the textbook, “Juneteenth 101: Popular Myths and Forgotten Facts.”
Tenets of the book are supported by original nineteenth century documentation, as opposed to contemporary speculation minus reality.
Examples:
- Was Texas the last state to emancipate enslaved Africans?
- No. That title belongs to Kentucky and Delaware. In those states, slavery became illegal six months after Juneteenth..
- Why is June 19th considered the day slavery ended in Texas?
- The Texas Supreme Court ruled June 19, 1865 was the date emancipation was enforceable in Texas. Therefore, it was the date lawful slavery ended in Texas.
- Was General Order No. 3 announced from the balcony of Galveston’s Ashton Villa?
- No. There are no historical records that connect General Orders #3 to Ashton Villa.
Many lay-celebrants consider these assertions heresy, but historians who’ve studied Juneteenth consider them old news. Meanwhile, other claims in the textbook create pause even among the most studied emancipation scholars. Examples:
- After only a few hours of freedom, the Union army forced many of Galveston’s freedmen back into slavery.
- Federal laws prevented freedwomen from participating in some of the early emancipation celebrations.
- Juneteenth had a predecessor.
Want details? Review the discussions, order the textbook, or request a virtual presentation.
Don’t learn alone
If you find a fact that makes you say, “wow, I didn’t know that”, don’t keep it a secret. Be a Juneteenth U. Ambassador. Invite your friends, family and neighbors to learn about Juneteenth and appreciate freedom together.