While many Americans celebrate Juneteenth or are at least familiar with it, others might still be acquainting themselves with the holiday that began with modest local celebrations and grew to become one of the most important dates on the African-American cultural calendar. Today, it's our newest federal holiday, marked for the first time on June 19, 2021.
Usually reserved for the third Saturday in June, Juneteenth (a portmanteau of "June" and "nineteenth" coined in the 1890s) commemorates the anniversary of General Order No. 3 in 1865, which freed enslaved African-Americans in Texas and enforced Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, issued more than two years prior in 1863.
Juneteenth celebrations, which began just a year later, grew in size and popularity, spreading throughout the nation as more African-American people migrated north and west. Observance declined at times, but surged during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, and the first bill to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday came in 1996. In 2016, 90-year-old teacher and activist Opal Lee embarked on a walk from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C. to advocate for federal recognition. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act with Opal Lee at his side.
Traditions vary by region, but common Juneteenth customs include readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, singing of traditional songs like "Lift Every Voice and Sing," and lively celebrations that include street fairs, rodeos, and blues festivals.
