Local News

Celebrating Sacred Freedom: Juneteenth holiday commemorates date when last slaves declared free

Juneteenth is just one of many historic observances that commemorate the journey to freedom and the ongoing fight for equality, Harriett Gaston told attendees during a Hollidaysburg Heritage Guided Tours history hour.

"African Americans have long celebrated the sacred idea of freedom, both before and after the Civil War," she said.

Juneteenth, now in its second year as a federal holiday, commemorates the date when the last 250,000 Black slaves were declared free in Texas when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay.

During a presentation Thursday evening, Gaston, a community historian and Coordinator of Minority Programs, Division of Undergraduate Studies adviser at Penn State Altoona, shed light on the rights of Pennsylvania's Black residents before the Civil War and explored various events and organizations that played a pivotal role in shaping African American history.

Before the Civil War, the rights of Black residents in the state were severely limited.

In 1780, the state passed the Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery, which allowed African Americans born before 1780 to be enslaved for life.

However, a law enacted in 1847 finally freed all enslaved Blacks in the state.

Throughout the 1800s, discriminatory laws continued to impede the progress of Black Pennsylvanians. In 1813, the state considered a law requiring the registration of Blacks, and the city of Harrisburg actually implemented it.

Black men were also prohibited from fighting for the United States in military conflicts in 1820, despite historical evidence of their participation in the Mexican War.

"Research shows, they did fight in the war -- just because the laws said they couldn't, does not mean it didn't happen," Gaston said.

In 1838, the revised Pennsylvania Constitution disenfranchised Black men, stripping away their right to vote.

"This is what set off the formation of the colored conventions," she said.

Daniel Williams of Blair County attended the State Convention of Colored Citizens of Pennsylvania, which convened in Harrisburg on Dec. 13-14, 1848.

"They talked about the lack of political rights they had such as not being able to vote, not being able to be on a jury or own property," Gaston said.

She said fortunately some Black men in Blair County did own property.

In Hollidaysburg, the canal allowing travel across the state offered the ability to meet with local group leaders and spread information.

The Compromise of 1850 further restricted the rights of African Americans by allowing the capture and re-enslavement of runaway slaves.

The Dred Scott case of 1875, decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, denied Black people, whether free or enslaved, their citizenship rights.

"They met in Bedford Springs while deciding on that. James Buchanan was the president at the time, and he would go there because Washington was hot and there was no air conditioning," Gaston said.

Discriminatory practices within the state persisted, such as allowing discrimination against African Americans on streetcars in Philadelphia and limiting their rights in court cases.

"It was very much like what people are familiar with Rosa Parks; they had to sit in the back of the train or whatever was traveling," she said.

Emancipation Day celebrations were a significant part of African American history even before the Civil War.

Black communities in Altoona and Hollidaysburg commemorated the emancipation of West Indies and Haiti's residents from slavery, viewing it as a symbolic victory for all oppressed people.

"People celebrated because they also wanted their brothers in the South to also be free," Gaston said.

These celebrations, often referred to as "colored" Fourth of July events, featured picnics, decorated wagons and speeches emphasizing the importance of freedom.

Despite facing numerous obstacles, African Americans in Blair County established civic and social organizations to advocate for their rights and fight for civil liberties.

They were also involved in Masonic lodges, temperance societies, churches and political associations that provided platforms for communication, education and empowerment. Black-owned newspapers like Frederick Douglass' North Star and the African Methodist Episcopal official church newsletter, The Christian Recorder, provided news about local and national events, observances and political issues.

"Unlike today where news is instant, it took a while for people across the country to know about the Emancipation Proclamation," Gaston said.

Texas was the last state to find out on June 19, 1865.

Some soldiers from Blair County in the United States Colored Troops regiments included Cpl. William M. Molson and Pvt. Basil Ormes of Altoona and Pvt. Robert Brown of Hollidaysburg.

Pvt. Reuben Huff was also there as part of the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry.

The following year, 1866, the now freed people started celebrating Juneteenth in Galveston.

"Its observance has continued around the nation and the world since," Gaston said.

Juneteenth is a blend of the words June and nineteenth, and the holiday has also been called Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day.

She said it was celebrated first with church picnics and speeches.

The holiday spread across the nation and internationally as Black Texans moved elsewhere.

Ratification of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, known as the "Reconstruction" or "Civil War" amendments, marked significant milestones in the fight for equality.

The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, with the exception of punishment for convicted criminals, and the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, extended the liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people.

Finally, the 15th Amendment, passed in 1869 and ratified in 1870, granted African American men the right to vote.

William Nesbit, a conductor of the Underground Railroad, took it upon himself to make public service announcements across the nation, inviting people to join in the celebration of the recent ratification of the 15th Amendment.

African American and white citizens of Altoona and Hollidaysburg gathered on April 26, 1870, to express their jubilation.

A celebration committee, led by Nesbit, orchestrated events in both cities to honor the amendment's passage.

The festivities began with a parade from Hollidaysburg along the turnpike near McCahan's bluff, culminating in the Diamond, where the first major speech was delivered.

The committee comprised several esteemed individuals, including Morris W.L. Knox of Hollidaysburg, "Major" John Thomas of Altoona, Moses Brown of Hollidaysburg and William Walton of Altoona as vice president.

Assisting them were Thomas H. Shorter and Samuel Richardson, who took up the roles of secretaries, while the Rev. William T. Biddle served as chaplain.

Additionally, African American residents played a crucial part in organizing and assisting with the celebration. E.D.W. Johnson, George Jones, J.W. Wager, J. (John) Alexander, C. Ambrose, George Hooper, John H. Ferguson, Robert S. Merrells, James Burris and John A. Jones all played instrumental roles in ensuring the success of the event.

Further adding to the festivities, Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church of Altoona hosted a four-day program to honor the 50th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.

During the celebrations, various individuals took the stage to share inspiring stories of bravery and resilience. David Brown, a resident of Hollidaysburg, recounted an incident from 1858 involving the Underground Railroad.

He described how freedom seekers were discovered at Chimney Rocks, and subsequently incarcerated in the local jail.

Yet, the close-knit Black community and their white allies joined forces to free the prisoners and guide them safely further north to freedom.

Samuel Jones, a resident of Altoona, told stories of his naval exploits during the Civil War.

Another individual, James Downing of Altoona, recounted his personal narrative of enslavement and subsequent emancipation.

He revealed how he became the owner of the very land he was once enslaved upon.

Bob Dollar, president of the Tyrone Historical Society, thought Gaston's presentation was very interesting.

"There were some things I knew was personal research, but some were also new to me. I hope she does another one," he said.

Sylvia Delozier of Duncansville also agreed.

"It was very informative and I learned a lot that I was not aware of before," she said.

Tom Kopriva of the Hollidaysburg Heritage Guided Tours said he was blown away by the amount of information Gaston provided.

"I think she does a terrific job of telling the story in a way the group can hear and understand," he said.

Mirror Staff Writer Cati Keith is at 814-946-7535.