Juneteenth

Juneteenth, short for June Nineteenth, is a U.S. holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It marks the day in 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger and his soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce that all enslaved people were free—more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation. He read General Order No. 3, finally bringing the news and enforcement of emancipation to the last major Confederate stronghold.

Issued on January 1, 1863, the Proclamation declared freedom for enslaved people in Confederate states. However, enforcement depended on Union troops taking control of those regions.

Juneteenth matters because:

  • It symbolizes freedom, justice, and the delayed promise of equality in the U.S.

  • It is a time to honor the strength, resilience, and contributions of Black Americans.

  • It serves as both a celebration and a call to reflect on the ongoing fight for civil rights.

cindy estes