06/19/2026
JUNETEENTH
Each year on June 19, we celebrate Juneteenth to commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S.
The story of Juneteenth begins in Texas when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, with announcement that slavery has ended. As the community listened to the reading of General Orders, Number 3, the people of Galveston learned for the first time that the Civil War was over. After more than a century of slavery and years of war, it was official. All slaves were now freedmen.
News traveled slowly, even stubbornly during and after the War between the States. Over two years earlier, President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William H. Seward signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Only two months before Major General Granger arrived in Galveston, General Lee surrendered at Appomattox. In addition, the country was already mourning the assassination of President Lincoln. Just weeks before Granger arrived, the official final surrender took place. And yet, this community in the west remained the last to know of their freedom. They required word, official word, to feel the effects of what was already happening in the rest of the country.
"…the 19th of June wasn’t the exact day the Negro was freed. But that’s the day they told them that they was free… And my daddy told me that they whooped and hollered and bored holes in trees with augers and stopped it up with powder and light and that would be their blast for the celebration." - Haye Turner, former slave.
Emancipation Timeline
January 1, 1863 - Emancipation Proclamation is signed.by President Lincoln.
April 9, 1865 - General Robert E. Lee surrenders to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia.
April 14, 1865 - John Wilkes Booth assassinates President Abraham Lincoln, who died the next day.
May 12, 1865 - The Final battle of the Civil War occurs at the Palmito Ranch in Texas with Confederates claiming victory.
May 26, 1865 - The Civil War officially ends after General Simon Bolivar Buckner of the Army of Trans-Mississippi enters terms of surrender.
June 19, 1865 - Major General Gordon Granger arrives in Galveston, TX, to announce the Civil War is officially over.
December 6, 1865 - 13th Amendment abolishing slavery ratified
August 20, 1866 - President Andrew Johnson proclaims conflict officially resolved and peace restored
The Spread of Juneteenth
Chiefly, the celebration of Juneteenth grew from the profound experiences that day when many learned of their freedom. From that freedom, it grew out of the surmounting challenges that lay ahead. And it continues to grow from the perseverance required and the dignity to overcome adversity and achieve fulfillment.
Juneteenth is also known as Freedom Day
Year after year, waves of people pilgrimaging to Galveston stand in one of the last places to receive the news. The celebrations spread much like the news spread to Galveston about freedom, slowly at first and then picking up speed. But Galveston isn't the only place celebrations take place. Juneteenth Jubilees happen all over the country and world. Juneteenth celebrated its 150th anniversary and celebrations spread around the globe in 2015.
In the U.S., all 50 states officially recognize the observance. In June 2021, the U.S. Congress passed legislation making Juneteenth a federal holiday. President Joseph Biden signed the legislation into law on June 18, 2021, declaring Juneteenth National Independence Day. Federal offices observe the day on the closest weekday if Juneteenth lands on the weekend.
5 WAYS TO CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH
Across the country, communities, vendors, galleries, and more, host delicious food, art, music, dance, and parades. All the while, the history of Juneteenth remains central to the festivities. Join the oldest celebration of the end of slavery by exploring art, food, and history. Dive into the festivals celebrating the African-American culture that are integral to Juneteenth.
