What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. 3, officially declaring the end of slavery in the state. This news arrived more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln, as the information had been delayed in reaching Texas.
The announcement of freedom on Juneteenth became a moment of immense significance and celebration for the newly liberated African American population.