Juneteenth ~ New Federal Holiday

What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is the day in 1865 where, upon the surrender of Confederate General, Robert E Lee, U.S. General, Gordon Granger, stood on Texas soil and read General Orders No. 3: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free”, a full 2 and a half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The name Juneteenth is a combination of the month and day, June 19th, that slavery officially ended in the in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.

Juneteenth officially became a Federal Holiday on June 19, 2021.