06/19/2026
Juneteenth is a reminder that freedom in the United States arrived in stages — through law, amendment, and finally, enforcement.
On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that enslaved people in rebelling states would be free as of January 1, 1863.
On January 31, 1865, Congress passed the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery nationwide once it was ratified later that year.
But freedom was not immediately realized everywhere.
On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and issued General Order No. 3 — informing the more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas that they were free.
This moment marks the origin of Juneteenth, the oldest nationally recognized commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States.
Across generations, African American and Indigenous communities have carried the weight of systemic oppression, shared ancestral trauma, and the ongoing struggle for equality.
Juneteenth invites us to honor that resilience while acknowledging the structures that continue to shape lived experiences today.
This day calls us to celebrate liberation — and to recommit ourselves to the continuous fight for justice, sovereignty, and collective healing.
Kutáputôtmuq for learning this history with us and carrying its lessons forward.
