Juneteenth is celebrated annually as the commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. While slavery as an institution was ended in the United States by the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, freedom was not truly achieved for every one until the Union Army was able to gain control of the entire confederacy. It wasn't until June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, that the Emancipation Proclamation could finally be put into full effect. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state, were free by executive decree.
Juneteenth was first celebrated by the African American community in Texas the following year. As African Americans from Texas and neighboring states started to spread out across the country, so did the celebration of Juneteenth. in 1980, Texas became the first state to declare Juneteenth an official State holiday. Galveston Bay, Texas holds month long Juneteenth celebrations with parades, reenactments, and education initiatives, and many people travel to Galveston Bay as part of their Juneteenth commemoration.
Juneteenth is often referred to as the nation's second independence day, but it also represents a very complex history. Even after emancipation, African Americans faced economic hardship, racism in daily interactions as well as federal and state legislation, and violence. Dr. Erin Stewart Mauldin, the John Hope Franklin Professor of Southern History at University of South Florida St. Petersburg states “Juneteenth is neither the beginning nor the end of something. The end of the Civil War and the ending of slavery didn’t happen overnight and was a lot more like a jagged edge than a clean cut.” (Cimitile). When commemorating Juneteenth, it is important to acknowledge this complexity by centering education and reflection in your observance of this Holiday. Use the resources on this guide to learn more about the holiday and the history and legacy of slavery in the United States, and have conversations about what you learn with loved ones and community members.
Cimitile, Matthew. "Juneteenth: The Complicated History, Significance and Celebration Around the Struggle for Freedom." University of South Florida St. Petersburg Newsroom, June 18, 2024. Link.
"The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth." National Museum of African American History and Culture, Link, Accessed May 27, 2025.
Bryson Taylor, Derrick. "The History of Juneteenth." The New York Times, 12 June, 2024. Link
Juneteenth has been celebrated in the African American community since it's inception, but the holiday did not begin to spread beyond Texas and the south until the 1940s-70s. This period, often referred to as "The Great Migration", saw African Americans moving from the south to midwestern and northern states to escape the racial discrimination, violence, and economic inequalities perpetrated by Jim Crow laws. As the Civil Rights Movement gained traction, the celebration of Juneteenth became more widespread, with entire cities and towns participating in Juneteenth festivities. Texas became the first state to declare Juneteenth a state wide holiday in 1980.
In 1997, Congress recognized Juneteenth with Senate Joint Resolution 11 and House Joint Resolution 56. This resolution commemorated Juneteenth, but did not make it a federal holiday. In the early 2000s, the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation was founded to promote declaring Juneteenth a national holiday. By 2016, 45 states recognized Juneteenth as a state wide holiday. Dr. Opal Lee, the oldest board member of the National Juneteenth Observance foundation, started a walking campaign in 2016 to bring attention to the campaign for federal holiday recognition. Each year, Dr. Lee and countless supporters walk 2.5 miles to signify the two and a half years it took for all enslaved people to be made free. Dr. Lee also started an online petition for Juneteenth in 2019 that gained over 1.6 million signatures.
In response to activism by the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, Dr. Opal Lee, and the Black Lives Matter movement, Juneteenth was declared a national Holiday in 2021 by President Biden. Dr. Lee was present at the signing ceremony. She is often referred to as "the Grandmother of Juneteenth."
Photo of Opal Lee from Variety online.
