CalEvents:Jun/Jun 19
From Sankofapedia
Notable events for Jun 19
Date
Event
Significance
June 19, 1865
Juneteenth: Official end of slavery in Texas
On this day, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the state. This event became known as Juneteenth, celebrated as the day marking the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation and the liberation of enslaved African Americans in Texas.
June 19, 1947
Death of journalist and activist Henry McNeal Turner
On this day, Henry McNeal Turner, an African-American bishop, politician, and journalist, passed away. Turner was a key figure in the post-Civil War Reconstruction era and advocated for the repatriation of African Americans to Africa, becoming an early Pan-Africanist voice.
June 19, 1953
Jomo Kenyatta's trial begins in Kenya
On this day, the trial of Jomo Kenyatta, the leader of Kenya’s independence movement and future president, began in British-controlled Kenya. Kenyatta was accused of managing the Mau Mau rebellion against colonial rule, but the trial was widely seen as politically motivated.
June 19, 1964
Civil Rights Act passed in the U.S. Senate
On this day, the U.S. Senate passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The act was a landmark in the African-American Civil Rights Movement.
June 19, 1999
Thabo Mbeki sworn in as President of South Africa
On this day, Thabo Mbeki was officially sworn in as the second Black President of South Africa, following Nelson Mandela. Mbeki’s presidency focused on economic development and tackling the HIV/AIDS epidemic, though his approach to the latter issue was heavily criticized.
June 19, 2005
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf elected as Liberia’s first female president
On this day, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected as the first female president of Liberia, making her the first woman to be elected as a head of state in Africa. Her election was seen as a significant moment for women in African politics and for Liberia's post-civil war recovery.
June 19, 2021
Juneteenth becomes a federal holiday in the United States
On this day, Juneteenth was officially recognized as a federal holiday in the United States. The legislation was signed into law by President Joe Biden, marking a historic acknowledgment of the end of slavery and the continued struggle for racial equality in America.