10 Facts About Juneteenth You May Not Have Known

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Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation that ended slavery in 1863. But word hadn't fully traveled to all parts of the Confederate states, as the Civil War was still going on.

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On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas and shared the news that slaves were finally free.

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With the Civil War over, Major Gen. Gordon Granger shared with the people of Galveston this message: "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer."

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After that June 19, 1865 declaration in Galveston, many people began celebrating that date as an African American Freed Day of sorts. And around 1903 people merged calling it June 19th into an easier to say "Juneteenth."

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While the unofficial holiday was still celebrated in some places, in most, it sort of trickled away as there was never federal recognition. But during the Civil Rights era, many states began reviving the celebrations.

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While some areas recognized celebrations in general, it wasn't until many primarily Black churches got involved that Juneteenth took off. Now, it's incredibly common for faith communities to hold Juneteenth celebrations, particularly in the South.

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There are still a large number of people who had no idea Juneteenth was a thing, until the last couple of years. The murder of George Floyd helped to spark a national movement celebrating Black voices and culture. That brought Juneteenth into the national conversation again.

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Realizing the importance of Juneteenth in celebrating the Black community, many businesses started making June 19 a company holiday. Businesses like Best Buy, JC Penney, Postmates, Spotify, and a host of others are celebrating the holiday.

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With its roots tracing back to Galveston, Texas, the State of Texas was the first to recognize Juneteenth as a paid state holiday. Virginia announced last year they would be doing the same. That made 47 states and D.C. that recognized it as at least an observance or state holiday.

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The entire Black Lives Matter movement has given voice to celebrating Black voices and culture. That's why on this 155th anniversary of the Freedom Day, traction was made quickly to make this a Federal Holiday. Legislation was approved on June 16, 2021 to officially make it a Federal Holiday on June 19.