One day, while hiding in the kitchen, Charlotte Brooks overheard a life-changing secret.
Suatu hari, saat bersembunyi di dapur, Charlotte Brooks mendengar rahasia yang mengubah hidupnya.
At the age of 17, she’d been separated from her family and taken to William Neyland’s Texas Plantation. There, she was made to do housework at the violent whims of her enslavers.
Pada usia 17 tahun, dia terpisah dari keluarganya dan dibawa ke Perkebunan milik William Neyland di Texas. Di sana, dia melakukan pekerjaan rumah.
On that fateful day, she learned that slavery had recently been abolished, but Neyland conspired to keep this a secret from those he enslaved. Hearing this, Brooks stepped out of her hiding spot, proclaimed her freedom, spread the news throughout the plantation, and ran. That night, she returned for her daughter, Tempie. And before Neyland’s spiteful bullets could find them, they were gone for good.
Pada hari itu, dia mendengar bahwa perbudakan baru saja dihapuskan, tapi Neyland berkonspirasi untuk menyimpan rahasia ini dari para budaknya. Mendengar ini, Brooks keluar dari tempat sembunyi, menyatakan kebebasannya, menyebarkan berita ke seluruh perkebunan, dan pergi. Malam itu, dia kembali menjemput putrinya, Tempie. Sebelum Neyland menemukannya, mereka melarikan diri.
For more than two centuries, slavery defined what would become the United States— from its past as the 13 British colonies to its growth as an independent country. Slavery fueled its cotton industry and made it a leading economic power. 10 of the first 12 presidents enslaved people. And when US chattel slavery finally ended, it was a long and uneven process.
Selama lebih dari dua abad, perbudakan melatari Amerika Serikat dari awalnya sebagai 13 koloni Inggris dan menjadi negara merdeka. Perbudakan menumbuhkan industri kapas dan menjadikannya kekuatan ekonomi utama. 10 dari 12 presiden melakukan perbudakan. Dan ketika AS menyatakan perbudakan berakhir, itu adalah proses panjang dan sulit.
Enslaved people resisted from the beginning— by escaping, breaking tools, staging rebellions, and more. During the American Revolution, Vermont and Massachusetts abolished slavery while several states took steps towards gradual abolition. In 1808, federal law banned the import of enslaved African people, but it allowed the slave trade to continue domestically.
Para budak melakukan perlawanan sejak awal dengan melarikan diri, merusak alat, melakukan pemberontakan, dll. Selama Revolusi Amerika, Vermont dan Massachusetts menghapus perbudakan sementra beberapa negara secara bertahap menghapus perbudakan. Pada 1808, undang-undang federal melarang impor budak orang Afrika, tapi mengizinkan perdagangan budak domestik.
Approximately 4 million people were enslaved in the US when Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860. Lincoln opposed slavery, and though he had no plans to outlaw it, his election caused panic in Southern states, which began withdrawing from the Union. they vowed to uphold slavery and formed the Confederacy, triggering the start of the American Civil War.
Sekitar 4 juta orang diperbudak di AS ketika Abraham Lincoln terpilih menjadi presiden pada tahun 1860. Lincoln menentang perbudakan, meskipun tidak berencana untuk melarang, kemenangannya membuat kepanikan di negara bagian Selatan, yang mulai menarik diri dari Uni. mereka ingin mempertahankan perbudakan dan membentuk Konfederasi, memicu dimulainya Perang Saudara Amerika.
A year into the conflict, Lincoln abolished slavery in Washington, D.C., legally freeing more than 3,000 people. And five months later, he announced the Emancipation Proclamation. It promised freedom to the 3.5 million people enslaved in Confederate states. But it would only be fulfilled if the rebelling states didn’t rejoin the Union by January 1st, 1863. And it bore no mention of the roughly 500,000 people in bondage in the border states of Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri that hadn’t seceded.
Setahun sebelumnya, Lincoln menghapus perbudakan di Washington, D.C., secara legal membebaskan lebih dari 3.000 orang. Lima bulan kemudian, dia mengumumkan Proklamasi Emansipasi. Menjanjikan kebebasan 3,5 juta orang yang diperbudak di negara Konfederasi. Tapi hanya akan terwujud jika negara yang menolak tidak bergabung dengan Uni pada 1 Januari 1863. Belum termasuk sekitar 500.000 orang budak di perbatasan negara bagian Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, dan Missouri yang belum memisahkan diri.
When the Confederacy refused to surrender, Union soldiers began announcing emancipation. But many Southern areas remained under Confederate control, making it impossible to actually implement abolition throughout the South.
Ketika Konfederasi menolak untuk menyerah, Tentara serikat mulai mengumumkan emansipasi. Tapi banyak wilayah Selatan tetap di bawah kendali Konfederasi, sehingga tidak mungkin untuk melakukan penghapusan di seluruh wilayah Selatan.
The war raged on for two more years, and on January 31st, 1865, Congress passed the 13th Amendment. It promised to end slavery throughout the US— except as punishment for a crime. But to go into effect, 27 states would have to ratify it first.
Perang berkecamuk selama dua tahun, dan pada 31 Januari 1865, Kongres meloloskan Amandemen ke-13. Yang berjanji untuk mengakhiri perbudakan di seluruh AS, kecuali sebagai hukuman atas kejahatan. Agar bisa berlaku, 27 negara bagian harus meratifikasinya terlebih dahulu.
Meanwhile, the Civil War virtually ended with the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on April 9th, 1865. But although slavery was technically illegal in all Southern states, it still persisted in the last bastions of the Confederacy. There, enslavers like Neyland continued to evade abolition until forced. This was also the case when Union General Gordon Granger marched his troops into Galveston, Texas, on June 19th and announced that all enslaved people there were officially free— and had been for more than two years.
Sementara itu, Perang Saudara hampir berakhir dengan bergabungnya Jenderal Konfederasi Robert E. Lee pada 9 April 1865. Meskipun perbudakan secara teknis ilegal di semua negara bagian Selatan, praktiknya masih bertahan di benteng terakhir Konfederasi. Pemilik budak seperti Neyland menolak penghapusan perbudakan hingga dipaksa. Ini juga terjadi ketika Jenderal Uni Gordon Granger memimpin pasukannya ke Galveston, Texas, pada 19 Juni dan mengumumkan bahwa semua budak secara resmi bebas, setelah lebih dari dua tahun.
Still, at this point, people remained legally enslaved in the border states. It wasn’t until more than five months later, on December 6th, 1865, that the 13th Amendment was finally ratified. This formally ended chattel slavery in the US.
Tetap saja, perbudakan dianggap legal di negara-negara perbatasan. Hingga lima bulan kemudian, pada 6 Desember 1865, Amandemen ke-13 akhirnya disahkan. Secara resmi mengakhiri perbudakan di Amerika Serikat.
Because official emancipation was a staggered process, people in different places commemorated it on different dates. Those in Galveston, Texas, began celebrating “Juneteenth”— a combination of “June” and “nineteenth”— on the very first anniversary of General Granger’s announcement. Over time, smaller Juneteenth gatherings gave way to large parades. And the tradition eventually became the most widespread of emancipation celebrations. But, while chattel slavery had officially ended, racial inequality, oppression, and terror had not. Celebrating emancipation was itself an act of continued resistance. And it wasn't until 2021 that Juneteenth became a federal holiday.
Karena emansipasi resmi adalah proses yang berliku, warga di berbagai tempat memperingatinya pada tanggal yang berbeda. Di Galveston, Texas, mulai merayakan “Juneteenth” kombinasi dari “Juni” dan “sembilan belas” pada perayaan pertama pengumuman Jenderal Granger. Seiring waktu, perayaan Juneteenth menjadi semakin meriah. Tradisi itu akhirnya menjadi perayaan emansipasi yang paling populer. Meskipun perbudakan telah resmi berakhir, ketidaksetaraan rasial, penindasan, dan teror belum berakhir. Merayakan emansipasi adalah tindakan perlawanan terus menerus. Dan baru pada tahun 2021, Juneteenth menjadi hari libur federal.
Today, Juneteenth holds profound significance as a celebration of the demise of slavery, the righteous pursuit of true freedom for all, and a continued pledge to remember the past and dream the future.
Kini, Juneteenth adalah perayaan penting dari berakhirnya perbudakan, kebebasan sejati untuk semua, masa lalu yang perlu diingat dan masa depan yang diimpikan.