20 chances to refresh your Juneteenth history knowledge
While celebrating Black Music Month, how much do you know about the federal holiday Juneteenth?
It’s that time again. Pull up your favorite Black Music Month playlists, and play them at your Juneteenth house party. Or, enjoy the hidden R&B, hip-hop and pop music gems on channels like Club1BD. But while you’re dancing along and scheduling your plans for the upcoming federal holiday, refresh your memory on Juneteenth facts. Let’s see how many you correctly answer in the 20-question Juneteenth history quiz below.
1. What does Juneteenth commemorate?
A. The signing of the Constitution
B. The end of the Civil War
C. The announcement of the end of slavery in Texas
D. The Emancipation Proclamation signing
2. What delayed the news of emancipation reaching Texas?
A. Poor roads
B. Ongoing war resistance and lack of enforcement
C. Weather conditions
D. Postal strikes
3. Where was Juneteenth first celebrated?
A. New York, New York
B. Washington, D.C.
C. Galveston, Texas
D. Atlanta, Georgia
4. In what year did the Juneteenth announcement occur in Texas?
A. 1776
B. 1863
C. 1865
D. 1877
5. Who delivered the message that slavery had ended in Texas?
A. Abraham Lincoln
B. Union troops
C. Frederick Douglass
D. Confederate leaders
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6. When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday in the U.S.?
A. 1980
B. 2000
C. 2021
D. 1965
7. Who signed Juneteenth into law as a federal holiday?
A. Barack Obama
B. Keith Ellison
C. Joe Biden
D. Bill Clements
8. What did the Rev. Ralph Abernathy of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference call June 19, 1865 as part of his 1968 Poor People’s Campaign?
A. Solidarity Day
B. Equal Rights Day
C. Black Freedom Day
D. Black Equality Day
9. In what year did Texas make Juneteenth a state holiday?
A. 1980
B. 1900
C. 1866
D. 2001
10. Who is the “Grandmother of Juneteenth”?
A. Ruby Dee
B. Opal Lee
C. Katherine Johnson
D. Dorothy Height
11. In 2016, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” embarked (interchangeably walking and riding in a vehicle) on a 1,400-mile trip from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, DC. For several years on June 19, she also led a 2.5-mile. What did the “2.5” symbolize?
A. The 2.5 years it took for the news of freedom to reach all enslaved people in the U.S.
B. The 2.5 million enslaved people freed in Texas
C. The 2.5 million people killed in the war
D. The 2.5 months it took for the last enslaved family to leave Galveston
12. What is the unofficial Black National Anthem that is often performed during Juneteenth live performances?
A. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
B. Lift Every Voice and Sing
C. This Little Light of Mine
D. Wade in the Water
13. What major war was ending around the time of Juneteenth?
A. World War I
B. Revolutionary War
C. Civil War
D. Vietnam War
14. Besides the Rev. Ralph Abernathy’s name for it, what is another common name for Juneteenth?
A. Independence Day
B. Jubilee Day
C. Constitution Day
D. Liberty Week
15. Initially, Juneteenth was celebrated in family- and church-centered gatherings. When it became more commercialized in the 1920s and 1930s, what was the next popular way to celebrate it?
A. Fireworks
B. Music festival
C. Baseball game
D. Food festivals
16. Which amendment formally abolished slavery on December 6, 1865?
A. 13th amendment
B. 19th amendment
C. 14th amendment
D. 15th amendment
17. Formerly enslaved people immediately sought several goals after Juneteenth. Which action did they NOT immediately consider doing?
A. Reunifying with family members
B. Establishing schools
C. Formally changing their last names back to their African origins
D. Suing slaveholders for compensation
18. Historians estimate that between 1790-1860, a number of enslaved people were trafficked from the Upper South to the Deep South and Southwest through the domestic slave trade. How many enslaved people are they guesstimating?
A. 500K
B. 200K
C. estimated 5 million
D. estimated 1 million
19. Texas was geographically isolated and had less Union troops. For this reason, historians estimated that enslaved people were forcibly relocated there because slaveholders believed Texas would be easier to preserve slavery. How many enslaved people were still being held in Texas before Juneteenth and after the Emancipation Proclamation?
A. estimated 100K
B. estimated 250K
C. estimated 500K
D. estimated 90K
20. Because many public parks were segregated, Black communities often pooled money to buy their own celebration grounds. In fact, a parcel of land was purchased in 1872 by formerly enslaved people specifically for Juneteenth celebrations. What’s the name of the park?
A. Manumission Park
B. Liberation Park
C. Emancipation Park
D. Deliverance Park