The readers’ forum
Juneteenth — a celebration of freedom
Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, the Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas with the news that the war had ended and freed all remaining slaves. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation — which had become official on Jan. 1, 1863.








