Do You Know the History and Significance of Juneteenth?
Every year near the start of summer, people around the country celebrate Juneteenth. Observed on June 19, Juneteenth has been celebrated for more than 150 years and became an official federal holiday in 2021. Discover the story behind Juneteenth and its enduring significance.
What is Juneteenth?
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued in 1863, declared enslaved people in Confederate states — including Texas — legally free. However, many enslavers in Texas ignored the proclamation, and freedom was not enforced there until Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, to announce that all enslaved people were free. This day, now celebrated as Juneteenth, marked the liberation of some of the last enslaved people in the U.S.
Still, this wasn’t the end of slavery across the U.S. Enslaved people in states like Kentucky and Delaware (which were not part of the Confederacy) weren’t freed until the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified in December 1865, thereby making slavery unconstitutional.
Interested in learning more? Find additional facts and details about Juneteenth here.
Juneteenth is a blended shortening of June 19th. The first recorded use of the name goes back to 1890 when a local Galveston newspaper wrote about a celebration, though gatherings were happening years before. Today, the official name is Juneteenth Independence Day. You may also hear names like Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Black Independence Day.
A history of the celebration
For more than 150 years, Juneteenth has primarily been celebrated in the Black community. The day is, in many ways, a celebration as well as a time for recollection and reflection. Many people outside of the Black community haven’t historically noted the date, in part because many schools, especially those outside of Texas, didn’t cover the topic in the past. Juneteenth events recognize the emancipation of not just the enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, but also the 4 million enslaved people in the U.S. at that time.
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. With Biden’s signature, Juneteenth officially became a federal legal public holiday. In observance of the holiday, most federal employees were given June 18 off work (as Juneteenth fell on a Saturday in 2021).
How is Juneteenth observed?
The events of June 19, 1865, are central to how Juneteenth is observed. Many formerly enslaved people moved North for freedom and opportunities, and celebrations were held as early as the following year to mark the date.
Observances and festivities on Juneteenth may include cookouts, rodeos, parades, and baseball games, along with discussions on history and race. Events may feature guest speakers, educational forums, singing and dancing, and prayer.
Red is an especially important color on Juneteenth, as it represents bloodshed and is connected to West Africa, where many enslaved people were taken from. You’ll see red in the food, with items such as red velvet cake, red beans and rice, and cherry pie. Red drinks, including strawberry soda, are also commonly served. Other dishes served at Juneteenth celebrations include communal soul food like black-eyed peas, collard greens, barbecue, and chicken.
To celebrate, some people make an annual pilgrimage to Galveston, Texas. Texas was the first to declare Juneteenth an official state holiday on January 1, 1980. As of 2025, all fifty U.S. states and the District of Columbia recognize Juneteenth as a holiday or observance.
