Juneteenth celebrates the end of chattel slavery in the United States. First recognized by formerly enslaved Texans in 1866, Juneteenth is the most well-known of U.S. Jubilee, Freedom Day and Emancipation Day celebrations. The holiday’s name comes from June 19, 1865, the day Major General Gordon Granger and Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, which outlawed slavery in Confederate states. This event occurred two months after the defeated Confederacy surrendered under Robert E. Lee in April 1865 and five months before the states ratified the Thirteenth Amendment banning chattel slavery throughout the country in December 1865.

Formerly enslaved people held most of the initial Juneteenth celebrations in homes or places of worship due to the risk of violence from ex-Confederates and domestic terrorists. Public celebrations emerged over time. A significant example is the annual event at Emancipation Park in Houston, which began in 1872. According to historian Annette Gordon-Reed in her book On Juneteenth, Richard Allen, Richard Brock, Elias Dibble and Jack Yates raised money and pooled their resources to purchase land and establish the park for public Juneteenth celebrations.

The holiday gradually spread beyond Texas, becoming increasingly recognized even in communities with existing Emancipation Day celebrations. In 1980, Texas became the first of several states to make Juneteenth a legal holiday. The federal government made Juneteenth a national holiday for all Americans in June 2021 following decades of advocacy by activists, including retired educator Opal Lee.

Juneteenth is a day to reflect on our nation’s history, celebrate freedom and progress, and recognize the possibility of change grounded in our common humanity.

LMO is dedicated to providing an inclusive culture that promotes equity and is intolerant of racism, discrimination and xenophobia. Happy Juneteenth, everyone!