Celebrating Juneteenth: Why It’s Important

WHAT IS JUNETEENTH?

Juneteenth (June 19th) is an annual celebration for the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday commemorates a specific date: June 19, 1865, the day federal troops arrived in Texas to ensure all enslaved people were freed. While President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had gone into effect more than two years earlier on January 1, 1863, over 250,000 slaves in Texas were unaware of the then yearsold news they were free.

WHY CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH?

Juneteenth marks a date of major significance in American History, representing the ways in which freedom for black people had been delayed. It is a reminder that “nobody is free until everybody is free”. Simply put, Juneteenth is “the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States,” according to Juneteenth.com. It serves as both a day of rememberance and opportunity for AfricanAmericans to honor their history and celebrate black culture.