Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of African American slaves. It is celebrated annually on June 19, the date the Union Army arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, with the news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved people were now free.
Juneteenth has been celebrated since the late 19th century, and it became a state holiday in Texas in 1980. In 2021, Juneteenth was finally recognized as a federal holiday, making it the 12th federal holiday in the United States.
