How Do You Celebrate Juneteenth?
Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the last state in rebellion—Texas. It commemorates June 19, 1865, the day enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were informed they were free by Major General Gordon Granger’s reading of General Order No. 3. This was the first document to mention racial equality through “an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves.”
African American communities have commemorated local Freedom Days, Juneteenth among them, since the celebration of abolition in Albany, N.Y., on July 5, 1827. Over 150 years after it was first celebrated, Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021.
Since its inception as a federal holiday, Juneteenth continues to be celebrated in many ways across the nation. How do you celebrate or acknowledge Juneteenth at your institution or campus, or in your personal life?
Get more information and digital resources about Juneteenth.
Source: AP Central. n.d. “AP African American Studies Official Course Framework, Project, and Exam Overview.” apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-african-american-studies-course-framework.pdf. Accessed June 14, 2023.