Juneteenth: What U Need to Know

Juneteenth has been called the oldest celebration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

As legend has it, in 1865, two years after Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation, the enslaved African American people of Texas still did not know that slavery had ended. The white slavemasters had kept the news from them until, on the 19th of June, troops marhed into Galveston, Texas, liberating the enslaved poeople there. Thus, Juneteenth was born.

Growing up in New York City, I knew nothing of Juneteenth, but people all over the world are learning about it. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery and stands alongside Watch Night, African Remembrance Day and many other celebrations of African liberation.

Our show tonight on What U Need to Know celebrates our one-year anniversary, and we will be discussing Juneteenth. I hope you will join us. Click here to listen to the show. If you miss it, you can still listen to the recording.

Modern Day Slavery - What U Need to Know

New Year's Eve is Watch Night, the night when many people across the U.S.A. celebrate emancipation from slavery. But has slavery really ended?

What U Need to Know - Click here to listen tonight, 7 p.m. UK time, 2 p.m. EST. Please phone in if you want to, or join us in the chatroom.

If you can't listen tonight, click here to listen to the recording.

For loads of Black history books and DVDs, click here for the Black Gifts Guide 2010.