Juneteenth

Juneteenth commemorates when the last enslaved African Americans in the United States learned they were free. The Confederate army surrendered in April 1865 ending the Civil War. However, word did not reach the last enslaved people until June 19th when union soldiers brought the news to slaves to Galveston, Texas. This was over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves was signed by Abraham Lincoln. It is celebrated every June 19th, and has been a federal holiday since.