On April 12th, 1861, the first shots were fired in the American Civil War. On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued Proclamation 95—or the Emancipation Proclamation—which changed the legal status of more than 3.5 million enslaved African Americans in the secessionist Confederate states from enslaved to free. To ensure slavery and involuntary servitude was unconstitutional, Congress passed the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and three-fourths of the states ratified the amendment on December 6, 1865.
This is but a small part of the history that led to Juneteenth—June 19, 1865. This federal holiday marks the day when Union Army General Gordon Granger and federal troops traveled to Galveston, Texas to inform enslaved African Americans of their freedom and that the Civil War had ended.
Juneteenth is American history because it's Black history. It is not only a celebration of freedom, but also one of opportunity, equity, and access. Today, we pause to reflect on our past as we plan a path for a future that advances racial equity and a healthy economy in which everyone can participate.
