On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, TX, announcing that enslaved Africans were free by federal degree. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was effective as of 1863, it took two years for the liberation of the enslaved in Texas to be realized. This day of liberation came to be known and celebrated as Juneteenth.
Since June 19, 1865, Juneteenth has been celebrated as a day of freedom, culture and empowerment for African Americans, but it is also reminder of how far our nation has come and how far we still have to go. Juneteenth reminds us of the power of hope and the importance of perseverance.
Information courtesy of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Photo information: Emancipation Day celebration, June 19, 1900 held in "East Woods" on East 24th Street in Austin. Credit: Austin History Center.
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