Celebrating Juneteenth

Juneteenth, also known as Jubilee Day and Black Independence Day, is a national holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Juneteenth was first celebrated in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1866, one year after the last group of enslaved people in Confederate states were notified of the legal end of slavery. Enslaved people in Texas were notified of their freedom on June 19, 1865, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.

While Juneteenth had been celebrated for years by African Americans in parts of Texas, it was recognized as a federal holiday in June 2021. Holiday celebrations include rodeos, street fairs, cookouts, family reunions, park parties, historical reenactments, and Miss Juneteenth contests.

To learn more about the history of Juneteenth and to find out about events happening around Atlanta and Athens, be sure to review some of the resources below:

• Juneteenth: A Celebration of Resilience (National Museum of African American History and Culture)
• What is Juneteenth? (PBS)
• Clint Smith on Juneteenth and Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America (Democracy Now!)
• Juneteenth (Atlanta History Center)

Events

• Atlanta Juneteenth parade
• 2023 Juneteenth events in Athens