Juneteenth Explained: 5 Key Facts About America's Second Independence Day
- Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and free the last enslaved African Americans—two and a half years after President Lincoln signed the order.
- The name is a portmanteau of "June" and "nineteenth," and while Texas was the first state to recognize it as a holiday in 1980, it took until 2021 for President Biden to sign it into law as a federal holiday.
- Modern celebrations often include parades, cookouts, prayer services, and educational events focused on Black history, cultural heritage, and community resilience.
- Contrary to a common myth, Juneteenth does not mark the official end of slavery in the U.S.—Slavery was abolished across the nation with the 13th Amendment ratified on December 6, 1865.
- The holiday has seen a massive spike in Google searches and public awareness since 2020, with many companies and schools now observing it as a paid day off or a day of reflection.