2024 California Juneteenth an ongoing "Journey From Slavery to Freedom"

(Folsom, California) Memorial Day 2024, we begin to quantify and qualify our progress of expanding recognition of our Juneteenth Federal Holiday throughout 58 California Counties and 100+ California Cities with @100,000+ residents to align our unique California Juneteenth "Journey From Slavery to Freedom."

The State of California continues to operate under AB 1749, Longville (2003) with ongoing progress via AB 1655, Jones-Sawyer (2022) with detailed change essential to align our Juneteenth Federal Holiday. Governor Newsom will follow existing law and recognize the 3rd Saturday in June as Juneteenth as we align Juneteenth Federal law here in California.

Join us as we prepare and work towards expanding our 2024 California State Capitol Juneteenth Celebration. Our unique "California Story" aligns with our National Juneteenth Observance Foundation to manifest equity and greater inclusion throughout the 5th largest economy in the world.

1. What is the importance of our unique California Juneteenth legacy?

Our unique California, "From Slavery to Freedom Journey" begins in the 15th Century, with Spanish Conquistadors in Baja California Sur and enslaved African prisoners of war apart of Spanish occupation of "New Spain" for until 1821 Mexican Independence. United States President Polk implemented "Manifest Destiny" and after the June 1846, beginning in today's Sacramento County with initial action of the California Bear Flag Revolt.

In 1846, US Military Occupation of California, including free and enslaved California Pioneers of Pan African descent. By November 1849, our California Constitution Convention in Colton Hall, Monterey established the framework for the State of California.

The "1850 Compromise" officially established by Congressional authorization; California became a State on September 9, 1850.

As the 31st State, California upset the electoral balance of 15 free and 15 "slave" states. During the Presidential election of 1860, California "white male only citizens" voted was very close, less than 1000 votes victory for President Abraham Lincoln.

Both Union and Confederate troops from California fought during the US Civil War, 1,918 US Colored Troops from California are documented by our African American US Civil War Museum in Washington, D.C.

Our California Juneteenth story, our "Journey From Slavery to Freedom" is very significant chapter in California History. Many California residents; past, present and future continue to have play a very significant role in helping firmly establish our Juneteenth Federal Holiday.

California Juneteenth properly understood, is worthy as a Federal, State, Local holiday for all Californians to celebrate.

Read on to understand a broader meaning of Juneteenth, and how you can celebrate/recognize it.

1. Origins of Juneteenth

Juneteenth can be traced back to June 19, 1865 when Union soldiers, led by several thousand USCT arrived at the final Port of Galveston Island, Texas to secure the border with Mexico and begin a 7-week military campaign to enforce the "good news" plantation by plantation throughout Texas and securing the Southwest border with Mexico.

2. Field Order #3 by General Gordon Granger, and other Field Orders were following Military direction from the new Commander in Chief, Democrat President Andrew Johnson, as part of strategic National Union Ticket. He became President after the assignation of President Abraham Lincoln, April 14, 1865, with disastrous results that facilitated 100 more years of affliction.

3. What is Celebrated on Juneteenth?

Juneteenth celebrations typically include music, barbecues, parades, picnics, rededications of historical sites, discussions about enslavement and the meaning of freedom.

Juneteenth is also a time for reconnection with family lineage, African, Caribbean, Indigenous, Asian, European other heritage is the legacy of our global enslavement. For many, it is a day to celebrate Black culture and to promote Black unity.

4. How to Celebrate and Recognize Juneteenth?

Emancipation Proclamation and 13th Amendment to US Constitution

Juneteenth is now recognized as a Federal Holiday for all Americans at home and abroad. The State of Alabama, "The heart of Dixie" is the latest in a growing line states, counties, cities, towns and businesses across the world are also establishing holiday celebrations in their jurisdictions. California is a work in progress.

Take time to honor the strength and resilience of people of African Descent and most importantly we begin to officially honor California - United States Colored Troops who helped preserve the Union, begin the ending of legal slavery in America, earning citizenship on the bloody battlefields across America and commit to working towards a more just and equitable society for all.

If we consider the origin of the 15th Century the Trans-Atlantic Trade in Human Cargo that first began with Spanish and Portuguese Military conquest in West Africa and transported captured prisoners of war to throughout the Caribbean, Central America, South America and North America in the newly "discovered" Western Hemisphere. With the formal blessing of Papel Authority, began the destruction of Indigenous Sovereign Nations and generations of an ongoing "MAAFA" Juneteenth 19, 1865, is our agreed upon celebration of freedom.