Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. It is also known as the African American Independence Day. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19^th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation – which had become official January 1, 1863.

NOTE: On June 15, 2021, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday.

More information can be found at Juneteenth.com