Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state, were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as "Juneteenth," by the newly freed people in Texas.
June 19th or “Juneteenth”, or “Freedom Day” is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
This holiday is considered the “longest running African-American holiday” and has been called “America’s second Independence Day.” It was on June 19, 1865, that Union soldiers, led by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, landed in Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that all slaves were free.
On June 15, 2021, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the bill that makes Juneteenth a legal public holiday. On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed into law Senate Bill 475 (S. 475) making “Juneteenth” a federal holiday. Because June 19 fell on a Saturday in 2021, the day was observed on Friday, June 18, 2021.
Facts You Should Know About Juneteenth:
- Juneteenth is named after the date on which it takes place. June 19th each year.
- Juneteenth was originally know as Jubilee Day
- Juneteenth took place years after slavery was abolished in the US. The Emaincipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, but the holiday was not celebrated until 1865.
- Juneteenth took place in Galveston, Texas
- Junteenth has it's own flag.
- Most states recognized Juneteenth as a holiday before it became a federal holiday in 2021.
- Strawberry soda along with other red foods and beverages symbolize the bloodshed of the slaves and pays homage to their sacrafice.
- Traditional foods for the day include barbecue beef, pork and chicken in addition to 'red' foods.
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