Juneteenth (abbreviation for “June Nineteenth”) commemorates the day when U.S. General Gordon Granger and federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, two and one-half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, to ensure that all enslaved persons were freed. General Granger 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.” Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States.

Many believe Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black Independence Day, is the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation that made the day a federal holiday.