The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth from the Smithsonian

It's the day that began the freedom--for all of us--from the scourge of slavery in the Americas. My family and I are grateful for the chance to celebrate this day.

Emancipation Day celebration, June 19, 1900 held in "East Woods" on East 24th Street in Austin. Credit: Austin History Center.

Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. As a result, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, enslaved people would not be free until much later. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865.

Here is the Smithsonian’s excellent and powerful article on this day.

https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth