06/19/2026
On June 19, 1865, months after the Civil War ended, Union general Gordon Granger and troops arrived in Texas. They shared and enforced the news that enslaved African people in Texas had been emancipated (which means they had been freed from being forced to work for no pay). Gordon Granger and his troops arriving in Texas happened two and a half years after slavery had been made illegal in Texas.
This day became known as Jubilee Day and over time became known as Juneteenth (June + nineteenth). This Texan freedom celebration rippled beyond Texas as the story of Juneteenth spread and other Black communities learned about and adopted it as their own Independence Day.
In 2021, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was signed into law creating a federal holiday to celebrate this important day. (The Juneteenth Cookbook, 2024)
On this Juneteenth we encourage you to learn more and check out these reads at your local library or with your library card on Libby.
