The National Organization for Women recognizes and celebrates Juneteenth, commemorating the day that the last enslaved people were emancipated. Juneteenth has long been recognized by Black communities on the statewide level but was only recognized last year as a federal holiday. However, many Americans still do not know the history behind the day. This lack Read more …
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, June 19th, the National Organization for Women recognizes Juneteenth, a holiday honoring the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people were free in Texas. Although Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation more than two years earlier, this day marks the liberation of 250,000 Texans. On June 19th, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger publicly read General Order No. Read more …