Juneteenth

June 19 is Juneteenth, a holiday celebrated in Texas and in 26 other US states as well as the District of Columbia. The holiday commemorates the day in 1865 that the slaves in Galveston,Texas were liberated by Union General Gordon Granger. (Although, the “Emancipation Proclamation” went into effect on January 1, 1863, there was little way to enforce it at the time.)

Celebrations began the following year, first in Galveston and then throughout the state of Texas. Today, Juneteenth is an official holiday in seven states and festivities include historic plays and tableaus (as pictured above), parades, and cook-outs for family and friends.

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