The History Behind Juneteenth

Herb Ruffin, associate professor of history and chair of African American Studies, was interviewed by CNY Central for a story about the Juneteenth Celebration in Syracuse.

Ruffin, an expert in African American history, explains what Juneteenth is: “It is a celebration of the emancipation. The lives of those who survived of African descent. It was brought upon when Texas received news, two years late, that slavery was abolished. Word did not get to them until many people will say June 19th,” he said.

He hopes that the celebration doesn’t stop with the next generation. He says, “Whether or not those youth are going to take in what they’re going to take in from a conscious perspective and not just becoming conscious, but turning that conscious into action.”