Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It is observed on June 19th, marking the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free, following the arrival of Union soldiers, two and a half months after the end of the civil war. This was more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
In 1980, Texas became the first state to designate Juneteenth as a holiday. Juneteenth was officially designated as a federal holiday in June 2021 when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. Juneteenth became an official Minnesota holiday on February 3, 2023 when Gov. Tim Walz on Friday signed into law a bill making it a state holiday.
Learn More:
- National Juneteenth Museum
- What is Juneteenth and Does it Matter (3 1/2 minute video)
- Juneteenth.com
