Sacramento Region Juneteenth Celebrations of Freedom

Juneteenth recognizes the capture of the final Confederate Port of Galveston Island, Texas during the US Civil War. Absent from current cognition is the notion of thousands of US Colored Troops, 10% from the State of California, helping preserve the Union and begin the end of legal chattel slavery in America.

Today, many singularly celebrate General Gordon Granger however his Field Order #3, often cites Granger as a significant figure who helped deliver the message of freedom to people of African Descent, still enslaved throughout Texas and the several "Slave States" not in rebellion.

General Granger became extremely unpopular among many Whites in the state of Texas. He was "blackballed and ostracized" by many Whites because he facilitated the seizure of vast sums of cotton crop for the US Treasury.

His 7-week campaign leading the US Department of Texas, ended on August 6, 1865 and he was transferred on October 31, 1865, to the command of the District of New Mexico.

California US Colored Troops remain an "open secret" as does the men of African Descent who participated in the Bear Flag Revolt that facilitated US Military occupation of California from Mexico.

Assembly Bill 1655, the California Juneteenth Holiday Legislation is not a priority and may be signed into law by Governor Newsom later during the Summer 2022.

What remains to be seen is will Legislation mandate an accurate, inclusive and equitable discussion of the salient contributions by people of African Descent to the forward flow of authentic California History or will defeated Confederate values and beliefs continue to outweigh primary source documentation.

Interestingly, over 3 million+ enslaved people of African Descent endured the cruel, inhuman and wicked "American Peculiar Institution" under the Confederate States of America, many of the offspring continue to worship the values and beliefs of "Previous Condition of Servitude."

During our 21st Annual, 2022 Folsom Juneteenth Celebrations, one of America's most endangered Historic Preservation Sites, the 1849 Gold Mining Town of Historic Negro Bar, Sacramento County may finally receive Federal, State and Local multiagency consideration for basic Historic Preservation Standards and Practices to apply to people of African Descent during the California Gold Rush Era.

Freedom is never free, and our unique "California Grown" Journey from Slavery to Freedom began in 1535 with Spanish Conquistadors arriving in Baja California Sur and the Mission/Presidio System of enslaved and free people of African and Indigenous descent began a long and difficult path of generational genocide, enslavement and affliction to arrive at a new beginning we call 1865 Juneteenth, Freedom Day Celebration.