Juneteenth, officially Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
Juneteenth, holiday observed annually on June 19, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. A combination of the words June and nineteenth, the holiday, also called Freedom Day, has been celebrated since 1866 and is considered to be one of the oldest continuing African American holidays.
Juneteenth is an often overlooked event in our nation’s history. On , Union troops freed enslaved African Americans in Galveston Bay and across Texas some two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed.
Juneteenth is the second federal holiday of spring, giving some a Friday-Sunday three-day weekend.
Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It is also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, Black Independence Day, and, by statute, Juneteenth National Independence Day.
The story of Juneteenth is therefore not just about freedom, but about freedom deliberately delayed, justice that had to be enforced by military might, and a people who created a lasting tradition to celebrate a promise finally, belatedly, fulfilled.
Juneteenth is a historical tipping point for the African American community and the nation, recognizing the monumental moment that ended slavery. On , Union Major-General Gordon Granger issued General Order #3 in Galveston announcing freedom from slavery in Texas, one of the last places to receive the news.