Juneteenth & Emancipation

Juneteenth is a hybrid of the words June and nineteenth.  It is an emancipation celebration celebrated first in Texas and now across the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union Army officer Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the emancipation of all slaves in Texas. This was two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued. Although the ratification of the 13th amendment in December later that year made slavery illegal, June 19th was when the last of the Confederate states were told of the proclamation. Thus was established one of the most enduring Emancipation Day celebrations in the United States, popularly known as Juneteenth, which marks the formal end of African enslavement.

Learn more at:

• Juneteenth.com: History of Juneteenth
• Juneteenth: The Growth of an African American Holiday (1865-)
• What is Juneteenth?- Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
• The Juneteenth Flag is Full of Symbols. Here's What They Mean - CNN