VOA慢速英语2019--今天是美国的六月庆典

Today Is ‘Juneteenth’ in the United States

Today is Juneteenth in the United States – a holiday that is over 150 years old, but is still unknown to many people. It marks the end of official slavery in the country and celebrates the promise of freedom.

The word “Juneteenth” combines the month “June” with the number 19. It recalls June 19, 1865, the day troops from the Union side of the American Civil War arrived in the city of Galveston, Texas.

At that time, Texas was part of the Confederate States of America, the group of Southern states fighting the Union for the right to keep slaves. The 250,000 enslaved people in Texas did not know that the president at the time -- Abraham Lincoln -- had declared them legally free.

In fact, Lincoln had declared them legally free more than two years before – on January 1, 1863.

But Texas was far to the west of the country and removed from much of the fighting. Few Union soldiers were there to communicate or enforce Lincoln’s order. Confederate slave holders¹ likely did not care about it or did not agree with it. And they did not want to lose a free labor² force.

So, no one told the enslaved people -- until June 19, when a Union general and a few thousand soldiers landed to take control of the area. The general quickly read an announcement. He informed the people that the Union had won the Civil War and “all slaves are free.”

Many formerly³ enslaved people immediately began to celebrate. As soon as they could, some left Texas and joined family members in other states. Some remained and built new lives.

They remembered June 19 in a special way in the years that followed. In time, their children and grandchildren celebrated⁴ it as a holiday, too.

What happens on Juneteenth?

Historically, Juneteenth has often involved barbecues, music, prayers and fancy clothes. Betty Anderson, who is a descendant⁵ of enslaved people, spoke⁶ to The Federalist magazine about her own Juneteenth traditions. She said the day includes stories about people who continued to fight for equal rights because “freedom from slavery did not bring freedom for the African-American.”

Historian⁷ Henry Louis Gates, Jr. made a similar point on the website The Root. He said one of the important things about Juneteenth is that it is a positive, powerful celebration, even in the face of discrimination.

For example, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Texas officials refused to permit black people to gather at public spaces. So, black families and friends celebrated Juneteenth near rivers and lakes, Gates said. In time, they bought their own parks where they could celebrate.

A national holiday?

If Juneteenth has been part of American life for hundreds of years, why do many people not know about it?

The Juneteenth website explains that, through the 1800s, the day was well known to many African-Americans. But in the early 1900s, more and more children began leaving their families and going to school. There, the official history books did not tell about Juneteenth – or about the lives of formerly enslaved people in general.

In addition, as the country faced difficult economic times, employers did not permit workers to leave on June 19. Many considered July 4, when Americans mark their declaration⁸ of independence from Britain, as a more patriotic⁹ celebration.

And so, Juneteenth celebrations decreased.

However, during the country’s Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, some African-Americans and activists¹⁰ embraced Juneteenth again. The day connected them to black American history, as well as to anyone who was not truly free.

In the late 20th century, Texas declared the day an official state holiday. Other states and cities are also increasingly supporting Juneteenth celebrations. Some activists are calling for it to become a federal holiday.

The Juneteenth website notes that the day honors African-American freedom and achievement. At the same time, it urges continued progress and respect for all cultures.

That website calls it a national day of pride. And a writer for the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., calls it “our country’s second independence day.”

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

Words in This Story

barbecue - n. an outdoor meal or party at which food is cooked over hot coals or an open fire

fancy - adj. not plain or ordinary

positive - n. good or useful

patriotic - adj. having or showing great love and support for your country

embrace - v. to accept something readily¹¹ or gladly

achievement - n. a result of hard work

pride - n. a feeling that you respect yourself and deserve to be respected by other people

1 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

4 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

5 descendant   

n.子孙，后裔，弟子

参考例句：

• He is a descendant of Confucius.他是孔子后裔。
• He is a lineal descendant of the company's founder.他是公司创始人的直系后裔。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 historian   

n.历史学家，编史家

参考例句：

• As a historian,he was most typical of the times in which he lived.作为历史学家，他是他所处时代最有代表性的人物。
• He calls himself a historian,but his books are a mere journalism.他自称为历史学家，但是他的书都是些肤浅的通俗作品。

8 declaration   

n.宣布，宣告，宣言，声明（书），申报

参考例句：

• We read the declaration posted on the bulletin board.我们读了贴在布告板上的声明。
• At the recent convention a declaration was adopted.在最近举行的大会上通过了一项宣言。

9 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

10 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 readily   

adv.欣然地，容易地，很快地，立即

参考例句：

• I promise all costs will be readily returned.我保证所有的费用会迅速偿还。
• Most plastics do not readily conduct heat or electricity.大多数塑料不易传热或导电。