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 is a federal holiday in the United States. Legislation establishing the holiday was passed by Congress on , and signed into law by U.S. Pres. Joe Biden the following day. Opal Lee, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” was integral to making Juneteenth a national holiday.
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 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.
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: Fact Sheet Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It is also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black Independence Day. On , Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, TX, and announced the end of the civil war and the end of slavery. Although the Emancipation Proclamation came 21⁄2 ...