Juneteenth Turns 159: A Celebration Of Delayed Freedom That Only Recently Became A Federal Holiday

Americans observe Juneteenth every June 19, commemorating the day Union soldiers marched into Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, and enforced the Emancipation Proclamation, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued it. Their arrival effectively ended slavery in the Confederacy's most remote state.

President Lincoln's proclamation freed enslaved people in rebelling states only on paper until Union troops imposed it on the ground. As the Galveston History Foundation recounts, Texas — largely untouched by Union forces — kept hundreds of thousands in bondage until Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston and read General Order No. 3, instantly declaring their freedom.

Though Juneteenth wasn't a federal holiday until June 17, 2021, when President Biden signed legislation making it the 11th federal holiday, communities had been celebrating for over 150 years, with origins dating back to June 19, 1866, in Texas.

Early celebrations, called “Jubilee Day,” featured church gatherings, parades, picnics, and voter education. They became part of the cultural fabric across Black communities during the Great Migration, enduring even as attention shifted during the Civil Rights era.

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Doubts About The Date

Juneteenth may spotlight the end of slavery in the United States, but slavery remained legal until Congress ratified the 13th Amendment on Dec. 18, 1865. President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people only in the states that had seceded to form the Confederacy, and he lacked the authority to abolish slavery by executive order within Union states. Delaware and Kentucky kept slavery legal until the 13th Amendment became law.

Why It Still Matters

Juneteenth honors a pivotal moment in American history and signals the beginning, not the end, of the struggle for Black liberation. Communities celebrate identity, art, and economic progress with music, storytelling, educational forums, and voter drives. Decades of grassroots activists, led by Opal Lee, the "grandmother of Juneteenth" and energized by the Black Lives Matter movement, pushed Congress to designate Juneteenth a federal holiday, celebrating the resilience of Black Americans.

What To Know About Today's Observance

Juneteenth launches a season of reflection leading up to July 4. In 2025, June 19 falls on a Thursday, and Wall Street will close for the day. U.S. stock and bond markets, banks, federal offices, schools and postal services will all pause in observance.

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