June 19 marks the end of slavery in the United States of America. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued an Emancipation Proclamation, ending slavery and freeing all enslaved people in Texas. But the order was not enforced or even acknowledged in Confederate-controlled areas of Texas.
Many enslaved Southerners demanded higher wages, stopped work, or took up arms against the Confederacy in Texas. In January 1865, Congress proposed the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution for the national abolition of slavery. On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed enslaved African Americans that the Civil War had ended and that they were free.
#OnThisDay in 1865, General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, TX to read Order No. 3, which affirmed the end of slavery in the states of the former Confederacy. This momentous occasion became known as #Juneteenth, a combination of “June” & “19th." More: https://t.co/bitoMm27sm pic.twitter.com/EsSy46DhaQ
— Smithsonian’s NMAAHC (@NMAAHC) June 19, 2026
Juneteenth celebrations began in 1866, at first involving church-centered community gatherings in Texas. The celebrations spread across the South and became more commercialized in the 1920s and 1930s.
— happy juneteenth! ??????| a day of profound significant for black americans & a pivotal moment in our history. to commemorate the end of slavery in the u.s. here’s a compilation of juneteenth parades & events spanning from 1979 — 1991 in fort worth, texas. pic.twitter.com/e6YZM0LJFS
— ?. (@filmsbratz) June 19, 2026
President Joe Biden recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday. when he signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law in 2021. Federal employees have the day off, and banks and post offices are closed on Juneteenth.
There are plenty of Juneteenth-themed events happening throughout metro Atlanta, including the annual Juneteenth Parade and Music Festival, arts and crafts, live music, cultural performances, family activities and food from around the world. Click here for a list of Juneteenth events around Metro Atlanta.