June 19, 1865 was the last day of slavery in the United States.
This is how it went.
The Civil War lasted from Apr. 12, 1861 to Apr. 9, 1865. Although the defeat of the Confederated Army signified the freedom of the slaves, the State of Texas took its sweet time.
Texas was the the most remote state in the Confederacy, and it took Union forces until June to reach Texas in sufficient numbers to announce and enforce the federal order that ended slavery there.
on June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and read a federal order abolishing the institution of slavery in the state:
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.”
Since June 19, 1865, Americans have observed and celebrated Juneteenth as Emancipation Day, a day of freedom. In 1980, Texas began marking Juneteenth as an official state holiday, the first state to do so. Now, nearly all states commemorate or observe Juneteenth to some degree.
Today, June 17th, 2021, President Biden, signed a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
The best way to celebrate Juneteenth, if you are not African American, is to learn and become aware of the social and racial discrimination black people are still suffering throughout the world and to make a commitment to stop discrimination or at least not to contribute towards it.
Another way to celebrate is by reading one of the many books dealing with civil rights and racial issues.
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