Juneteenth 2021: Google Doodle celebrates freedom day of Black enslaved people in the US

Google Doodle observes Juneteenth 2021, an annual federal holiday celebrating the freedom of Black enslaved people in the United States, on June 19, 2021.

Juneteenth, otherwise called Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, remembers the day that information on the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas in 1865.

Juneteenth is the oldest known US celebration of the end of slavery. African Americans and others mark the anniversary similar to the Fourth of July, with parties, picnics, and gatherings with loved ones.

While many learn of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 as the ending for slavery in America, it took more than two years for the new law and order to be implemented from one side of the country to the other. The holiday of Juneteenth comes from General Gordon Granger officially informing and supporting the abolishment of slavery and freedom of slaves in the state of Texas on June 19th (abbreviated to Juneteenth), 1865. While Juneteenth celebrations have been occurring since 1866, it wasn’t until this past Thursday that the U.S. perceived Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Albeit the announcement went into effect on Jan. 1, 1863, a few people who claimed slaves didn’t reveal to them they were free. On June 19, 1865, Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger carried the news to Galveston, Texas.

The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act moved through Congress this week, with the House and Senate both passing it only days before the June 19th date denoting the historic event.

President Joe Biden marked a bill Thursday that adds Juneteenth, which honors the date in 1865 when slaves in Texas first learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, as the eleventh federal holiday.

It’s the first federal holiday made since Martin Luther King Jr. Day became law in 1983. Government laborers noticed Juneteenth on Friday this year since June 19 falls on a Saturday.

Google Doodle on Juneteenth 2021

On June 19, 2021, Google’s search page included a homage to Juneteenth with artwork made by Detroit-based artist Rachelle Baker that was centered on Black joy and artistic contributions.

Google Doodle art highlighted a tribute to Black artistic contributions by insinuating decorative ironwork, which incorporates styles that can be found all through southern architecture and was frequently fashioned by enslaved African Americans and unrecognized freedmen.

The artwork incorporates pictures of parades, music, food, and community from past and present. Baker said she was inspired by family photo albums, illuminated letters, and intaglio prints, a printing process that ordinarily uses an etched or engraved plate.

For Juneteenth 2021, Google has prepared a suite of celebrations. To guarantee that their workers would have the option to appropriately reflect on the historical impact, Google organized a company-wide “no meetings day,’ complete with a two-hour celebration of Black culture including a performance from Erykah Badu.

The present Google Doodle artwork celebrates joy within the Black community, as well as the perseverance foundational to this journey toward liberation. With each letter, the Doodle advances from historical Juneteenth parades to modern-day traditions, for example, education through storytelling, outdoor gatherings with family and friends, and commemorative festivals and parades.

These scenes of celebration and community are lit up by bluebonnets—the state flower of Texas—and forget-me-nots that are layered upon backgrounds of decorative ironwork usually found on buildings all through the southern states. This ironwork features the often forgotten contributions made by enslaved Black Americans and represents their strength and resilience.

For the individuals who may just be knowing about Juneteenth for the first time this year, Google Arts and Culture have banded together with The Kinsey Collection to offer an exhibit on the more than 150 year history of Juneteenth celebrations, including photographs of the newly-freed men and women.

In the interim, the Google Assistant is additionally prepared to present some history lessons. Beginning today on cell phones, presentations, and speakers, you can ask the Google Assistant “what happened today in Black history?” Each day, you’ll get a different tidbit, gathered as a team with civil rights activist Dr. Carl Mack.

Google Maps is doing its part to observe Juneteenth by featuring the work of April Hamm, a musician, and Local Guide who created a list of probably the most fundamental places in New Orleans, including historical landmarks and Black-owned businesses. The Google Play Store is celebrating by exhibiting apps by Black developers.

Lastly, on the Google homepage today, you’ll track down an extraordinary Juneteenth Google Doodle made by guest artist Rachelle Baker. Between illustrations of Juneteenth parades and celebrations, Google Doodle is mixed with decorative ironwork, a typical architectural style in the southern U.S., paying homage to Black artistic contributions.