When is Juneteenth in 2024?
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, and Black Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
Origin of Juneteenth
On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that "all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free." However, it took two and a half years for news of the proclamation to reach enslaved people in Texas, the farthest state from Washington, D.C.
On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. 3, which informed slaves that they were free. This day is now celebrated as Juneteenth.
Significance of Juneteenth
Juneteenth is a day of celebration and remembrance. It is a day to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States and to honor the struggles of enslaved African Americans.
When is Juneteenth in 2024?
Juneteenth will be marked on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
Unlike other federal holidays such as Memorial Day and Labor Day that are observed on the last Monday of the month, Juneteenth is observed on the actual date of June 19th.
Comments