The day specifically commemorates Union soldiers enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas on June 19, 1865 — freeing the remaining enslaved African Americans at the end of the Civil War.

and has been celebrated every year by African-American people to commemorate the end of slavery. It's also known as Emancipation Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, or Cel-Liberation Day.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The nation’s longest-running Emancipation ... Day. The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared the liberation of ...

“I’m extremely happy to see ... in and celebrate Emancipation Day, MLK Day, some of these large holidays that allow us to take a moment to think about and talk about African American history.” ...

In this lesson, students explore the realities of life after the Emancipation Proclamation and learn about courageous individuals who fought against the inequalities African Americans experienced.