Oklahoma State University Athletics
Celebrating Juneteenth Alongside OSU Student-Athletes
June 19, 2020 | General
On June 19, 1865, Union general Gordon Granger stood on the balcony of one of the most prominent homes of Galveston, Texas, and read the following words aloud.
"The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor."
While the Emancipation Proclamation had been formally issued over two years prior, much of the Southern U.S. resisted the end of slavery. Granger's reading of "General Order No. 3" – along with 2,000 troops dispatched to Galveston – helped make the abolition of slavery a reality.
In the following years, African Americans in Austin, Houston and many areas in the South began celebrating June 19 as a holiday of independence, and by the 1890s this celebration became universally known as Juneteenth, nationwide.
Today, Juneteenth is our country's oldest celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, and Oklahoma State stands with its student-athletes in celebrating.
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Lauren Fields, Cowgirl Basketball (Shawnee, Okla.)
"Juneteenth is one of the most important holidays for me as an African American woman. There was a significant delay before the southern state slaves became aware of their freedom. This day of delayed knowledge is Juneteenth! Not only is it a day to celebrate freedom of slaves in America but especially now exaggerates the harsh reality that justice and freedom for people of color often is delayed. Clearly, there is still delayed information getting through to Americans today with the alarming cases of police brutality and systemic inequalities directed towards people of color."
Ferron Flavors, Cowboy Basketball (Federal Way, Wash.)
"Juneteenth has always been a big deal in my household. Growing up we always celebrated it, whether it was a BBQ or we went to do something as a family. Juneteenth is a celebration of what our ancestors went through to make sure we didn't have to experience the same thing. Juneteenth should be a national holiday that is celebrated the same way every other major holiday is celebrated!"
Charme' Morgan, Cowgirl Soccer (Frisco, Texas)
"It's a day to reflect and count my blessings, recognizing that without the hard work from my ancestors then none of this would be possible. It's also about a family gathering together enjoying the comfort of family generations and how we came to be today."
Landon Wolf, Cowboy Football (Tulsa, Okla.)
"Many people recognize the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation to be the end of slavery in the United States but this wasn't the case. The freedom of slaves was widely rejected for more than two years by white slave masters and slave traders. June 19th, 1865 is when Texas' 250,000 slaves were officially freed. Of course, they were met with resistance due to their critical role in the economy that was dependent on their free manual labor. Nonetheless, this was the beginning of a newfound opportunity for African- Americans to create a life for themselves. Recognizing the mass-scale oppression in the past allows me as a young black man to be grateful for the strides that our people and our country have taken while simultaneously remaining focused on continuing the fight for equal rights and representation."
Gabriella Coleman, Cowgirl Soccer (Keller, Texas)
"Juneteenth is a holiday that a lot of African American people celebrate. In Texas, where I'm from, we were one of the first states to deem the holiday "Juneteenth" worthy of statewide recognition. Even though it's not officially a national holiday, it feels good to recognize something that means so much to my race."
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"The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor."
While the Emancipation Proclamation had been formally issued over two years prior, much of the Southern U.S. resisted the end of slavery. Granger's reading of "General Order No. 3" – along with 2,000 troops dispatched to Galveston – helped make the abolition of slavery a reality.
In the following years, African Americans in Austin, Houston and many areas in the South began celebrating June 19 as a holiday of independence, and by the 1890s this celebration became universally known as Juneteenth, nationwide.
Today, Juneteenth is our country's oldest celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, and Oklahoma State stands with its student-athletes in celebrating.
Â
Lauren Fields, Cowgirl Basketball (Shawnee, Okla.)
"Juneteenth is one of the most important holidays for me as an African American woman. There was a significant delay before the southern state slaves became aware of their freedom. This day of delayed knowledge is Juneteenth! Not only is it a day to celebrate freedom of slaves in America but especially now exaggerates the harsh reality that justice and freedom for people of color often is delayed. Clearly, there is still delayed information getting through to Americans today with the alarming cases of police brutality and systemic inequalities directed towards people of color."
Ferron Flavors, Cowboy Basketball (Federal Way, Wash.)
"Juneteenth has always been a big deal in my household. Growing up we always celebrated it, whether it was a BBQ or we went to do something as a family. Juneteenth is a celebration of what our ancestors went through to make sure we didn't have to experience the same thing. Juneteenth should be a national holiday that is celebrated the same way every other major holiday is celebrated!"
Charme' Morgan, Cowgirl Soccer (Frisco, Texas)
"It's a day to reflect and count my blessings, recognizing that without the hard work from my ancestors then none of this would be possible. It's also about a family gathering together enjoying the comfort of family generations and how we came to be today."
Landon Wolf, Cowboy Football (Tulsa, Okla.)
"Many people recognize the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation to be the end of slavery in the United States but this wasn't the case. The freedom of slaves was widely rejected for more than two years by white slave masters and slave traders. June 19th, 1865 is when Texas' 250,000 slaves were officially freed. Of course, they were met with resistance due to their critical role in the economy that was dependent on their free manual labor. Nonetheless, this was the beginning of a newfound opportunity for African- Americans to create a life for themselves. Recognizing the mass-scale oppression in the past allows me as a young black man to be grateful for the strides that our people and our country have taken while simultaneously remaining focused on continuing the fight for equal rights and representation."
Gabriella Coleman, Cowgirl Soccer (Keller, Texas)
"Juneteenth is a holiday that a lot of African American people celebrate. In Texas, where I'm from, we were one of the first states to deem the holiday "Juneteenth" worthy of statewide recognition. Even though it's not officially a national holiday, it feels good to recognize something that means so much to my race."
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