35 Juneteenth Trivia Questions And Answers

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Welcome to our Juneteenth trivia quiz! Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.

It commemorates the day when General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, and read General Order Number 3, which declared that all enslaved people in Texas were free.

Juneteenth is a time to reflect on the struggles and achievements of African Americans throughout history, and to celebrate their resilience and perseverance. So, let’s test your knowledge of Juneteenth and see how much you know about this important holiday!

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35 Juneteenth Trivia Questions And Answers

What is the significance of the Juneteenth holiday?

Answer: Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

What date is Juneteenth celebrated?

Answer: June 19th.

What are some of the activities that are often associated with Juneteenth celebrations?

Answer: Some activities that are often associated with Juneteenth celebrations include parades, picnics, block parties, poetry readings, music performances, and historical reenactments.

What drink is commonly associated with Juneteenth celebrations?

Answer: “Red soda water” or strawberry soda.

What is the significance of the color red on Juneteenth?

Answer: The color red is often used to symbolize the blood shed by enslaved people in their struggle for freedom.

Which U.S. President signed a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday?

Answer: Joe Biden.

In what year did slavery officially end in the United States?

Answer: 1865.

Who was the president of the USA when slavery ended?

Answer: Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln - Juneteenth Trivia Questions

What event led to the creation of Juneteenth?

Answer: The Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that all slaves in Confederate-held territory were free. However, it took over two years for this news to reach some areas of the country, including Texas.

Which US colony was the first to abolish slavery in 1777?

Answer: Vermont became the first colony to ban slavery.

Can you name one other name for Juneteenth?

Answer: Other names for Juneteenth include Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, Black Independence Day, and Jubilee Day.

Who was the first state to declare Juneteenth a state holiday?

Answer: Texas was the first state to declare Juneteenth a state holiday in 1979.

Who first introduced legislation to the U.S. House of Representatives recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday?

Answer: Barbara-Rose Collins.

What is the significance of the location of Galveston, Texas in the history of Juneteenth?

Answer: Galveston, Texas is where General Gordon Granger arrived on June 19, 1865, to announce that all enslaved people in Texas were free.

What is the name of the founder of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation?

Answer: Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr.

How did the “Juneteenth” holiday get its name?

Answer: The term “Juneteenth” is a combination of “June” and “nineteenth,” the date on which General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce the end of slavery.

Which war prompted the end of slavery in the United States?

Answer: The Civil War.

General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, and read _____, which declared that all enslaved people in Texas were free.

Answer: General Order Number 3.

The period immediately after Juneteenth is known as the ‘Scatter.’ What happened during this time?

Answer: In the following weeks, formerly enslaved people left Texas in great numbers to find family members and make their way to the postbellum United States.

Can you describe what the Juneteenth flag looks like?

Answer: It is red, white, and blue with a bursting star in the center.

What is the significance or symbolism seen in the Juneteenth flag?

Answer: It features a red, white, and blue color scheme to symbolize the American flag. The star in the flag’s center represents Galveston, Texas, while the arc above represents a new horizon and opportunities for African Americans. The bursting outline around the star is inspired by a nova, a term astronomers use to mean a new star. This represents a new beginning for the African Americans of Galveston and throughout the land.

Who created the first version of the Juneteenth flag in 1997?

Answer: The first version was created in 1997 by activist Ben Haith.

In 1863, during the American Civil War, Pres. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that slaves living in the Confederate states were free. How many years would pass before the news reached African Americans living in Texas?

Answer: More than two years. It was not until Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, that the state’s residents finally learned that slavery had been abolished.

During the first year Juneteenth was celebrated, how was it observed?

Answer: Original observances included prayer meetings, the singing of spirituals, and wearing new clothes as a way of representing newfound freedom.

On June 17 of what year did President Biden sign the bill into law, making Juneteenth the 11th holiday recognized by the federal government?

Answer: 2021.

Juneteenth is the first new federal holiday since which other federal holiday was adopted in 1983?

Answer: MLK Jr. Day.

MLK - Juneteenth Black History Month Trivia

This 10-acre parcel of land was purchased by former slaves, Richard Allen, Richard Brock, Jack Yates, and Elias Dibble for $800 in 1872 specifically to celebrate Juneteenth. Where is it?

Answer: Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas.

This important march planned by Martin Luther King Jr. was purposely scheduled to coincide with the Juneteenth date. What is the name of the march?

Answer: The Poor People’s March. March participants took the celebrations back to their home states and soon the holiday was reborn (Jim Crow laws and the Great Depression dampened the celebrations in the early 20th century).

What is the name of the state and local laws established to enforce racial segregation after slavery ended?

Answer: Jim Crow Laws.

Who said this iconic quote? “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”

Answer: Frederick Douglass.

Who said this iconic quote? “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Answer: Martin Luther King Jr.

Who said this iconic quote? “You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.”

Answer: Malcolm X.