This upcoming Sunday is June 19, a day that many of our broker associates, employees and clients will celebrate as Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”). This holiday marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863.
The newly freed people in Galveston celebrated after the announcement, and the following year, freedmen and freedwomen organized the first of what became the annual celebration of “Jubilee Day” on June 19 in Texas. Over time, the annual celebration expanded beyond the Black community in Texas and was declared a federal holiday in 2021. Juneteenth celebrations today focus on education, history, self-improvement, culture, and pride.
If you’d like to learn more about this important day in our country’s history, click the links below.
