8 Facts About Juneteenth You Probably Didn’t Know
Juneteenth has been officially recognized as a federal holiday, but how much do you really know about this important day in history? Read along to educate yourself on some facts…
A man kneels and raises his fist in the air for eight minutes and 46 seconds — the time that George Floyd was pinned under a police officer’s knee — during a march and protest to mark the Juneteenth holiday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial June 19, 2020 in Washington, DC. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when a Union general read orders in Galveston, Texas stating all enslaved people in Texas were free according to federal law, effectively ending slavery in what remained of the Confederacy.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesJuneteenth has been officially recognized as a federal holiday, but how much do you really know about this important day in history? Read along to educate yourself on some facts that you probably didn't know about the day of liberation.
8.
Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 17: (L-R) 94-year-old activist and retired educator Opal Lee, known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth, holds hands with Vice President Kamala Harris as U.S. President Joe Biden signs the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law in the East Room of the White House on June 17, 2021 in Washington, DC. The Juneteenth holiday marks the end of slavery in the United States and the Juneteenth National Independence Day will become the 12th legal federal holiday — the first new one since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was signed into law in 1983. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
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Michael B. Thomas/Getty ImagesTULSA, OK - JUNE 19: A man displays a shirt celebrating the freedom of enslaved Black people during the Juneteenth celebration in the Greenwood District on June 19, 2020 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when a Union general read orders in Galveston, Texas stating all enslaved people in Texas were free according to federal law. (Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
6.
Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesLAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 19: (L-R) Miss Juneteenth Nevada Aniyah Brown, Tiffanne LeMay, Miss Jubilee Jaslyn Johnson, Little Miss Juneteenth Journee Walton, National Juneteenth Observance Foundation communications director Deborah Evans and Miss Juneteenth Las Vegas Leslie Walton pose in front of the historical Harrison House, where black entertainers stayed during days of segregation, during a Juneteenth Reunion Family Caravan and BBQ put on by the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation on June 19, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when a Union general read orders in Galveston, Texas stating all enslaved people in Texas were free according to federal law. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
5.
Eze Amos/Getty ImagesRICHMOND, VA - JUNE 19: Protesters march on monument avenue in Richmond Virginia to protest police violence and injustice on June 19, 2020 in Richmond, Virginia. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when a Union general read orders in Galveston, Texas stating all enslaved people in Texas were free according to federal law. (Photo by Eze Amos/Getty Images)
4.
Natasha Moustache/Getty ImagesCHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 19: Black Chicagoan and Indiana horse owners ride through Washington Park on June 19, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when a Union general read orders in Galveston, Texas stating all enslaved people in Texas were free according to federal law. (Photo by Natasha Moustache/Getty Images)
3.
Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesNEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 19: People participate in a march in Brooklyn for both Black Lives Matter and to commemorate the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth on June 19, 2020 in New York City. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when a Union general read orders in Galveston, Texas stating all enslaved people in Texas were free according to federal law. As the nation comes to terms from a number of recent killings of black Americans by police, Juneteenth is being celebrated and recognized throughout the country in marches, memorials and services. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
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Karen Ducey/Getty ImagesSEATTLE, WA - JUNE 19: Dr. Marcia Tate Arunga, Dean of Evergreen College at Tacoma, kicks off the celebration with libations at the Juneteenth Freedom March and Celebration on June 19, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when a Union general read orders in Galveston, Texas stating all enslaved people in Texas were free according to federal law. (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
Juneteenth Flag
ShutterstockThere is a Juneteenth Flag of Freedom. It is half red and half blue with a star in the middle
