Juneteenth, a combination of "June" and "nineteenth," is considered the longest-running African American holiday. It commemorates the date when hundreds of thousands of enslaved men and women in Texas finally learned they had been freed in 1865.
Below is what you need to know about the date:
1. What is Juneteenth?
June 19, 1865 marks the day when it was announced that slaves were freed in Galveston, Texas, following the end of the Civil War. However, that announcement came more than two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the
longest-running African American holiday.
2. Is Juneteenth a federal holiday?
3. Why has Juneteenth become so important in the last year?
In 2020, there was a renewed interest in the day that celebrates freedom, following nationwide protests over police brutality and the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and other Black Americans.
4. What is the historical significance of Juneteenth?
5. How is Juneteenth celebrated?
Juneteenth is celebrated across the country with street fairs, parades, and concerts. National Juneteenth Observance Foundation President Steve Williams
also encourages readings of the Emancipation Proclamation.