Communities across the country commemorated Juneteenth on Thursday, a federal holiday that marks the end of slavery in the United States.
What You Need To Know
- Communities across the country commemorated Juneteenth Thursday, a federal holiday that marks the end of slavery in the United States.
- On June 19, 1865, Union Gen. Gordon Granger traveled to Galveston, Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, telling enslaved Americans that the Civil War had ended two months prior and they had been freed
- The day has been celebrated as Juneteenth — a combination of June and 19th — for more than 150 years by Black communities, but only became a federal holiday four years ago
- Across the country, some celebrations that had been held for years were scaled back or canceled this year, due to funding shortfalls as companies and local governments reconsidered their support for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
On June 19, 1865, Union Gen. Gordon Granger traveled to Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, telling enslaved Americans that the Civil War had ended two months prior and they had been freed.
“Juneteenth has long been a day recognized for its importance and reverence in the Black community,” Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., said in a video message, calling the holiday a marker “of celebration, of hope and resilience” for Black Americans and the entire country.
The day has been celebrated as Juneteenth — a combination of June and 19th — for more than 150 years by Black communities, but it only became a federal holiday four years ago. Then-President Joe Biden signed the designation into law in 2021 after the Senate voted unanimously in favor of the bill and the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved it 415-14.
“Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation and a promise of a brighter morning to come. This is a day of profound — in my view — profound weight and profound power,” Biden said at the time. The former president was scheduled to attend a Juneteenth celebration in Galveston on Thursday evening.
A view of a section of the 1865 Juneteenth General Order No. 3 that is displayed by the Dallas Historical Society at the Fair Park Hall of State in Dallas, Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Federal offices and the stock market are closed, and there is no regular mail delivery by the United States Postal Service in recognition of Juneteenth — also known as Emancipation Day — as festivities are taking place throughout the country.
In Texas, an annual event was slated to include a reenactment of the reading of General Order No. 3, which informed the people of Texas that all enslaved people were now free, as well as a tribute to the late state Rep. Al Edwards, who introduced a bill to make Juneteenth a state holiday in 1979. In Milwaukee, a parade honored the late World War II hero and civil rights activist Anna Mae Robertson.
In Fort Worth, Texas, Juneteenth observers participated in the annual 2.5-mile Walk for Freedom that was started by activist Opal Lee, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.”
Lee, 98, was unable to attend in person this year because of health reasons. She advocated for decades for Juneteenth to be recognized as a federal holiday.
In New York City, Broadway performers held a free outdoor concert honoring Black artistry and culture, and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that landmarks across the state would be illuminated red, black and green — the colors of the Pan-African flag, representing the African diaspora — Thursday evening in observance of Juneteenth.
Tony Award-winning actor and activist André De Shields, who was presented with the 2025 Juneteenth Legacy Award during the New York City festivities, spoke about the historical context of the holiday.
“Every year we speak about Juneteenth and we talk about celebrating freedom,” De Shields said. “In 1865, Juneteenth was about some white Union soldiers going to Galveston and telling the enslaved people there, ‘You are free.’ They knew they were free even from the time they were kidnapped from the west coast of Africa. They knew in their heads. They knew in their hearts. They knew in their guts that they were free.
“The difference is that now that the united colonies of America knew that they were free,” he continued.
Attendees of a Portsmouth, New Hampshire, event gathered for speeches, dances and tributes at the African Burying Ground Memorial Park, an 18th century grave site for more than 200 freed and enslaved Africans and African American residents.
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., spoke there about the “complicated and conflicted history” of the United States and acknowledged her own distant ancestors’ ties to slavery, calling it a “very painful and shameful part” of her family history.
“This gift of democracy is one we have to work at each and every day,” Hassan said.
The senator and other speakers connected Juneteenth’s legacy to current events, including President Donald Trump’s rollback of federal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, which he called “dangerous, demeaning, and immoral.”
In 2020, Trump recognized Juneteenth with a presidential message, but it was unclear if the administration would commemorate the holiday as of Thursday afternoon. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she was “not tracking” any proclamations tied to Juneteenth when asked during a briefing.
Norman Harris, executive director of JMF Corporation that puts on a Juneteenth celebration in Denver, is shown on the light-rail track running through the neighborhood where the event is staged Friday, June 13, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Across the country, some celebrations that had been held for years were scaled back or canceled this year due to funding shortfalls, as companies and local governments reconsidered their support for DEI initiatives.
In Denver, more than a dozen companies dropped their support for the Juneteenth Music Festival, which is one of the city’s biggest celebrations to mark the holiday, Norman Harris, executive director of the event’s organizer JMF Corporation, told The Associated Press.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced he would not give state employees the day off as had previously been done and said the state won’t be hosting any Juneteenth events for the first time since 2017, 13News reported.
Many local organizations also lost funding when National Endowment for the Arts grants were pulled in May.
De Shields said that commemorating Juneteenth served as a reminder that the history of Black Americans is part of American history, citing Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous remarks on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 as he fought for civil rights.
“You know that our history is being banned,” De Shields said. “You know that our history is being hidden. You know that our history is being unwritten. So when we come together to celebrate Juneteenth, we have to remember and not let Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream become a nightmare.”
The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.
