J U N E T E E N T H

Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

It is also called Emancipation Day or Juneteenth Independence Day.

The name “Juneteenth” references the date of the holiday, combining the words “June” and “nineteenth.”

Juneteenth was originally celebrated in Texas, on June 19, 1866.

It marked the first anniversary of the day that African Americans there first learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, more than two years after it was initially issued.

The holiday was originally celebrated with prayer meetings and by singing spirituals and wearing new clothes to represent newfound freedom. Within a few years, African Americans were celebrating Juneteenth in other states, making it an annual tradition.

Juneteenth celebrations in the United States declined in the 1960s, overshadowed by the civil rights movement. However, the holiday began to regain its importance in 1968 when the Poor People’s Campaign, originally led by Martin Luther King, Jr., held a Juneteenth Solidarity Day.

Today, Juneteenth is enjoying a phenomenal growth rate within communities and organizations throughout the country.

Institutions such as the Smithsonian, the Henry Ford Museum and others have begun sponsoring Juneteenth-centered activities.

Juneteenth today, celebrates African American freedom and achievement, while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures.

As it takes on a more national, symbolic and even global perspective.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

Interest in Juneteenth continued to increase in the following decades, and the first state-sponsored Juneteenth celebration was held in Texas in 1980.

Happy Juneteenth