Today we honor and celebrate Juneteenth, our newest federal holiday in the United States that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.

It is celebrated on June 19th every year, the anniversary of the day when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 and announced that slavery had been abolished.

Juneteenth is also known as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, or Black Independence Day. Celebrations often include prayer, feasting, music, dance, and education about African American history and culture.