Every year near the start of summer, people around the country celebrate Juneteenth. The holiday is far from new — it commemorates an event that happened more than 155 years ago — but awareness and interest in Juneteenth has steadily increased over the years.
With that awareness and interest comes an opportunity to learn more about the history behind June 19 and how it’s commonly celebrated.
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.
Why Juneteenth is so important
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.
Awareness about Juneteenth and its importance to the Black community and the entirety of the U.S. continues to grow. It’s a time to reflect on the country’s history of racism and oppression, as well as to promote Black history and culture. After the police killing of George Floyd in 2020 — the year of the 155th Juneteenth anniversary — large corporations started to officially recognize the date and offered paid time off and public statements. 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).
Juneteenth is officially a federal holiday.
— President Biden Archived (@POTUS46Archive) June 17, 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.
Modern celebrations are held in cities like Dallas, Denver, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Charleston, and Memphis. These feature guest speakers, educational events, singing and dancing, and prayer. Observances and festivities on Juneteenth include cookouts, rodeos, parades, and baseball games, along with discussions on history and race.
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, like red velvet cake, red beans and rice, and cherry pie. Red drinks, like 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.
