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Juneteenth is a Federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, observed annually on June 19th. The official name of the federal holiday Juneteenth is also known as National Independence Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day, and Juneteenth Independence Day, The name “Juneteenth” references the date of the holiday, combining the words “June” and “nineteenth.” In 1863, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared more than three million slaves living in the Confederate states to be free. More than two years passed, before the news reached African Americans living in Texas. It was not until Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, that the state’s residents finally learned that slavery had been abolished. The former slaves immediately began to celebrate with prayer, feasting, song, and dance. The following year, on June 19, the first official Juneteenth celebrations took place in Texas. Juneteenth became a state holiday in Texas in 1980, and a number of other states subsequently followed suit. The original observances included prayer meetings, singing of spirituals, and celebrants wore new clothes as a way of representing their newfound freedom. Within a few years, African Americans in other states were celebrating the day as well, making it an annual tradition. Celebrations have continued across the United States into the 21st century and typically include prayer and religious services, speeches, educational events, family gatherings, picnics, and festivals with music, food, and dancing. On June 19, 2021 President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law officially making June 19 “Juneteenth” a federal holiday and giving national recognition to a day commemorating emancipation. Juneteenth is also celebrated outside the United States, being used by organizations in a number of countries to recognize the end of slavery and to honor the culture and achievements of African Americans. |
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