Student Article

Juneteenth is observed each year on June 19, honoring the moment in 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved Black people of their freedom. This announcement came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation took effect, due to the lack of Union presence in Texas during the Civil War.

Why freedom took so long to reach everyone

While the proclamation legally ended slavery in Confederate states, enforcement varied. Many enslavers in Texas simply ignored the law until Union forces made it clear that slavery would no longer be tolerated. Even then, the reality on the ground was dangerous. Formerly enslaved people were often attacked or forced to continue working. Juneteenth celebrates the day freedom was finally enforced in the region, but it also reminds us of how uneven that freedom was.

Celebrating Juneteenth against the odds

For decades, Juneteenth was celebrated mostly in Texas and among Black communities. Efforts like the creation of Emancipation Park in Houston reflected the struggle for space to commemorate the day. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday — the first new national holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.

Juneteenth becomes a holiday for all

Still, some scholars argue that the federal recognition can feel hollow without real action. They warn against turning Juneteenth into a symbolic event stripped of its roots in Black history and resistance.

A day to remember and keep fighting for freedom

Today, Juneteenth is marked by reflection, community events, educational programs, and red-themed foods representing strength and remembrance. It is both a celebration of Black freedom and a call to confront racial inequality that still exists.

© Emma Mason / www.historyextra.com