On June 19, 1865 General Gordon Granger sailed into the Port of Galveston and proclaimed that all enslaved Blacks in Texas were free. The next year freedmen in Austin began to commemorate this day by organizing annual Emancipation Day celebrations. However, these early celebrations were more than just a time to eat, drink and reminisce about their lives before freedom. It symbolized a rite of passage for the freedmen who had transitioned from a life of enslavement to that of freedom. It was during these events that freedmen demonstrated to the white population that they were productive members of the community and worthy of citizenship.

For this reason, the Emancipation Day programs became a showcase for grand displays of patriotism that included the waving of the Texas and American flags. One of the most powerful symbols adopted by organizers of this event was that of the Goddess of Liberty. The statue that was placed atop the new capitol building in 1888 probably inspired its use. Because the next year, young ladies for the first time vied for the honor of being crowned “Goddess of Liberty.” This tradition remained an integral part of the Emancipation Day programs for decades.

By the early part of the 20th century though, the subsequent generations of freedmen began to change the annual celebration to reflect the new light in which they viewed themselves and their venerable holiday.  No longer was it seen as a rite of passage, but instead, a measure of their considerable progress. By then they had formed Emancipation Day associations and purchased land on which to hold their event. And it was during this time that the name of the holiday became known as Juneteenth.

While the waving of the red, white and blue of the Texas and American flags remained stock symbols of patriotism, the longstanding tradition of crowning a Goddess of Liberty eventually went out of fashion and was replaced with a new tradition—the crowning of the Juneteenth Queen.

Article and Images contributed by  The Austin History Center