Junteenth

Juneteenth (19 June 1865) is one of the oldest-known celebrations to commemorate the end of enslavement. It is celebrated primarily in Texas as that was the day many enslaved Texans learned that they had been freed. Numerous tales attempt to explain the two-year delay between Abraham Lincoln’s Executive Order 1 January 1863 and the day the Texans heard the news. Many continue to make the annual pilgrimage to Galveston, the city where General Gordon Granger of the Union made t he freedom announcement, to celebrate the day. While not as popular as Kwanzaa, Juneteenth is celebrated by African Americans throughout the United States with numerous cultural events. Because of its Texas roots, most menus for the event include barbecue spare ribs or chicken. William Wiggins recorded that his first Juneteenth celebrations included many foods familiar to African American southerners, “platter of barbecued chicken, long link sausages and brisket-sized chunks of beef, bowls of steaming brown beans seasoned with hunks of jowl bacon, a cold apple, lettuce, and mayonnaise salad, trays of white ‘store-bought’ bread, frosty pitcher of red lemonade, jugs of homemade blackberry wine, and a pan of peach cobbler”.

Foods Accessible to Slaves: The African American Traditional Core Diet

Meats, Poultry, and Seafood

Pork Extremities
Chicken Extremities
wings, necks, back, and feet
Chicken Organs
livers and gizzards
Wild Game
rabbits, squirrels, deer, and
opossums
Seafood
dried and salted herring;
freshwater fish, such as trout,
catfish, kingfish, croaker, black
and red drum, and flounder;
and shellfish, such as crabs,
clams, and mussels

Vegetables, Legumes, Tubers, and Grains

Green Vegetables
okra; collard, mustard, and
turnip greens; poke salad,
cabbages; and pumpkins
Legumes
cowpeas and lima beans
Tubers
white potatoes, sweet potatoes,
onions, and turnips
Grains
rice, corn, and wheat
Wild Berries

Breads, Sweets, and Beverages

Breads
cornbread and biscuits
Desserts
sweet breads made with
molasses or honey
Beverages
buttermilk and teas made from
roots and herbs, such as
sassafras
(United States: African American Foodways)