BOISE, Idaho — June 19 marks the day slaves from Galveston Bay, Texas were freed, which is two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
The federal holiday is celebrated all over the country and has a special meaning to many who live in the Northwest.
Many have celebrated Juneteenth for years, though it wasn't until 2021 that it was recognized as a federal holiday by President Joe Biden.
“By making Juneteenth a federal holiday, all Americans can feel the power of this day and learn from our history,” said President Joe Biden during remarks at the signing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.
A year before the federal legislation, Idaho Governor Brad Little, proclaimed June 19 as Juneteenth National Freedom Day in Idaho, though changed it to match the federal holiday in 2021 and declared it a State holiday.
The history of race relations in Idaho played a major role during slavery. Here in the North, according to Idaho Black History Museum President Phillip Thompson, many slaves escaped to Idaho.
“In1863 Idaho was founded. In 1864, a black man by the name of Lewis Walker came to Idaho and did remarkable things. And slavery was never an institution here. There are stories of people who left where they were from, as a slave, and came to the Idaho territory and were freed,” said Thompson.
According to Thompson, Idaho was far ahead of the rest of the country when it came to the desegregation of schools in 1871, with no legislative segregation, and no recorded lynchings.
Although Juneteenth has been celebrated for about 150 years, many are only recently learning about the holiday.
Alice Baber-Banks is a fairly new resident of Idaho, serving as the pastor of Mountain View Community Fellowship Church in Boise. She didn't learn about Juneteenth until the age of 82.
“I learned about Juneteenth some time ago. When I say some time ago, maybe ten years ago, we never talked about Juneteenth,” says Baber-Banks.
And she's not alone. Toni Belknap Brinegar is the Chairperson for the Vallivue School District Board. She, herself, recently learned about the holiday and its history.
"I didn't know about Juneteenth until about three years ago, and then when I started digging and doing some research, I was like, wow, this is really important to commemorate that people, for two years, they didn't know they were free," said Belknap-Brinegar.
Juneteenth not only celebrates the freedom of all slaves, but it's also a time to reflect on how far the country has come.
"Being in a place where we're not very diverse, it doesn't bug me because I get to bring that diversity. I get to represent, but also we're growing," says Sophia Yervasi, 2023 Miss Black Idaho.
According to the U.S. Census, black people make up less than three percent of residents in Idaho. Being such a small percentage, having a strong community is vital.
“Growing up in an environment where you're around people of the same color. And then you come to a place that's not of the same color. It's definitely different, definitely something I had to get used to, but it's a lot of love out here, a lot of love and support,” says Idaho resident Robert Baker.
“There are people like me who love Idaho, who are from Idaho and want to stay here. And to see other people who look like me and celebrate. This state, black history month and everything, that we've done collectively for Idaho,” says Belknap-Brinegar.
