Juneteenth - June 19

Juneteenth is an American holiday commemorating the declaration of slavery in the state of Texas on June 19, 1865, and more generally the release of enslaved African-American residents throughout the Confederate states (formerly southern states) in the United States.

The name of the holiday is a combination of the words "June" and "Nineteen" (June and nineteen).

Slavery existed in the United States for several centuries, from the British colonial period, in the early 17th century until 1865, when the Civil War ended. Slavery was a legal institution where people of African descent were sold as goods to slave owners. Slaves were considered lawful. As property and deprived of most of the rights vested in free people.They were subject to the authority of their owners who bought them and had to do whatever they were told.

The slaves were brought to America from African countries, where they were abducted or sold by their families. Subsequent generations born in the United States were forced into slave status on the day they were born.

The end of slavery at the end of the American Civil War granted citizenship and legal and political rights to those of black skin color equal to those of white skin color.

The Juneteenth is celebrated mainly by reading the works of well-known African-American writers such as Ralph Ellison and Mia Angelo, singing traditional songs such as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "Lift Every Voice and Sing", public readings of the Emancipation Statement, the Declaration The presidency signed by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, which declared slaves in the United States free.

Also celebrating on this day in the US are rodeos, street fairs, food stalls, family reunions, park parties, historical reconstructions of the period or the Miss Juneteenth beauty pageant.

Recommended movies about the period of slavery in the United States

"12 Years a Slave" directed by Steve McQueen, "The help" by Tate Taylor, "Django Unchained" by Quentin Tarantino, "Lincoln" and "Amistad" by Steven Spielberg, "The 13th" by Ava DuVernay.

A painting from 1690 in Virginia, USA, of a white family that has a black maid

Sale of slaves in 1841, photo from the film "12 Years of Slavery"

Coloring pages of Texas

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery- 2nd December

On 2 December 1949 the General Assembly approved the UN Convention of the Elimination of human trafficking and exploitation On 2 December 1949 the General Assembly approved the UN Convention on the Elimination of trafficking in persons and exploitation of prostitution of others. Since 1986 it note on the International Day to abolish slavery. In 2004, the UN General Assembly declared the International Year to mark the struggle against slavery and its cancellation . Although slavery is illegal, it still exists among different populations, especially in Third World countries.

Most of us feel like slaves in a way. We are slave to work, to fashion, to love- but we have some choice. Real slave doesn't have a choice.
Slavery is a working regime-owned and characterized by a person's control over another person were property. Human slavery is when a human is not free to determine his conduct and his agenda, and his master decides to go through all or most of the lifestyle and ways of behavior.

Usually the slaves throughout history were of race, ethnicity or religion different from their oppressors. The kidnapping or slavery began to fall captive during the war. Reasons slavery of the people for whom they were usually convicted of a crime or an inability to repay debt. Sometimes collected abandoned baby to the family who raised him as a slave. The children of slaves often became slaves themselves.

In ancient Greece, one could get an inheritance or gift slaves. You could also buy prisoners of war, abandoned children or hostages or victims of pirates. The slaves were working jobs unbearable, serve their masters until dawn the next morning, staff, harsh mines etc.

In ancient Rome were not the slaves have no rights. You could torture them and kill them according to the whims of their masters. Masters were rescued and treated it cruelly. One of the rulers writer who throws aquarium full of fish predators slaves were negligent and dropped to nothing.
Europe in modern times slavery was banned in major countries on the continent.

Slavery was common in Africa as elsewhere in the world and is multiplied with the spread of Islam in Africa and arrival of Muslim Arab slave traders. North African pirates kidnap Europeans were unemployed at the time of the Ottoman Empire. Slavery persists in Africa today. Nigeria Building and child trafficking still exists.

America-with the arrival of the conquerors of Europe to the continent, tried to enslave the Indians immigrants, but they died in droves diseases the Europeans brought with them. In addition, the Indians under the protection of Spanish crown and the church with the conversion. Use the new tenants in place in America people brought from Africa as slaves. African slaves were abducted by local traders or by their tribes, and sometimes even sold by their families. So were slaves from Africa to the United States (many of whom were victims on the way).

"Clave" by Alex da Silva | Slave Monument in Rotterdam Harbour

12 Years a slave- a movie about a free man who became slave for 12 years.

  December 2 is also United Arab Emirates