What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is the longest-standing national celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. Union soldiers arrived at Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, following the end of the Civil War. According to President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, they brought the news that the enslaved people were free. This proclamation had been issued more than two years earlier, on January 1, 1863.

The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance. On

June 17th, 2021, President Joe Biden enacted the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, making June 19th a federal holiday to honor the liberation of enslaved people in the United States, which also became a paid holiday for the CSU systemwide.