What Is Juneteenth?

In June 19, 1865, a U.S. Army general arrived in Galveston, Texas, with two pieces of important news. After four years of fighting, the Civil War had ended and the 250,000 enslaved people living in the state were free.

The news had been slow to reach them. The war had ended two months earlier, and enslaved people in Texas and most other Southern states had actually been freed more than two years earlier. President Abraham Lincoln had granted them their freedom in 1863 with an order called the Emancipation Proclamation. 

Still, the overdue news was cause for celebration. That day became known as Juneteenth—a combination of June and 19. 

Over the years, Juneteenth became a day of celebration for Black people across the country. Many communities hold parades and picnics, where foods such as red velvet cake and red-colored drinks are served. The color red represents the resilience shown by enslaved Black people. 

In 1980, Texas became the first state to recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday. Now it is observed in most other states and Washington, D.C., too. 

“Juneteenth is a day of celebration not just for African Americans, but for everyone committed to the United States’ ideals of freedom and equality,” says Crystal Sanders, a history professor at Pennsylvania State University.