On June 19, 1865, an Army general rode into Galveston, Texas, with important news. After four years, the Civil War had ended and slavery had been abolished, or officially done away with, throughout the United States.
The 250,000 enslaved people living in Texas were some of the last to find out that they were free. The war had actually ended two months earlier. And enslaved people in most Southern states had been freed more than two years earlier. President Abraham Lincoln granted them freedom in 1863 with an order called the Emancipation Proclamation. But the news took a long time to reach Texas.
Despite the delay, the news was cause for celebration. The day became known as Juneteenth—a combination of June and 19.
In 1980, Texas became the first state to recognize it as a state holiday. It became a national holiday in 2021. Many Black communities hold parades and picnics, where foods such as red velvet cake and strawberry drinks are served. The color red symbolizes the resilience shown by enslaved Black people.