What Is Juneteenth
Juneteenth is a commemoration of slavery ending in the united states.
What is juneteenth. Juneteenth is one of americas oldest holidays and is observed each year on june 19 to mark the official end of slavery in the us. Juneteenth short for june nineteenth marks the day when federal troops arrived in galveston texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. Dating back to 1865 it was on june 19th that the union soldiers led by major general gordon granger landed at galveston texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. The history behind juneteenth or june 19 is much.
What is juneteenth and why do we celebrate it. When the 13 original colonies declared their independence from great britain on july 4 1776 black americans remained in chains. A look back at the history of the us holiday whoopi goldberg explains that even though abraham lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation on jan. 1 1863 a quarter million.
Juneteenth a portmanteau of june and nineteenth also known as freedom day jubilee day liberation day and emancipation day is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the united states. Juneteenth is about reclaiming our history rejoicing in the progress weve made and recommitting to the work yet undone said sen. It originated in 1865 when on june 19 the union soldiers arrived in galveston texas carrying news that the civil war was. Cory booker d nj in a press release announcing the.