Juneteenth (a portmanteau of June & Nineteenth) is a holiday traditionally celebrated by African Americans throughout the United States on June 19. Also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, the holiday commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. Specifically, Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when slaves in Texas learned that they had been freed under President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Union Major General Gordon Granger announced the contents of the proclamation in Galveston, Texas, informing the slaves present that slavery had been outlawed in the state.

As time went on, the holiday also came to symbolize social and legal progress for the African American community. Juneteenth has been recognized as an official state holiday in most regions of the United States.

Due to recent high profile incidents involving racism and police brutality in the African American community, Juneteenth has gained national attention. Organizations like Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Inc. have made a pledge to make Juneteenth a national holiday.