Juneteenth is celebrated every year on the 19th of June. It is a federal holiday for us to remember our ancestors' suffering through hardships and to hope for a better world. Want to learn more? Keep reading!

On June 19, 1865, Gordon Granger, who fought for the Union, arrived at Galveston and made a very important declaration from the Emancipation Proclamation: The Union has won in the war, and slavery has no choice but to end. The slaves on the street all went wild, for after all the suffering they'd suffered, they'd been freed, just like that. Even the name Juneteenth was named after that day; it's a combination of the words June and nineteenth.

However, slavery didn't really end on that precise day or even within the next few weeks. The owners of the slaves tried everything to avoid that announcement, and they got away with it. They kept their slaves as long as they could, not giving in unless the government forced them, so they had nowhere to go, and some just simply ignored it! During the liberation, it was a cruel and dangerous time for slaves; those who were freed and were brave enough to try and flee were faced with the dangers of death and imprisonment. (Um, that isn't nice.)

Nevertheless, the Emancipation Proclamation had a great influence on the liberation. Without that, black slaves won't attempt to be freed anyway. The Emancipation Proclamation also helped the government make a firm stand against slavery. And so, that's the true end of slavery.

Of course, after they were freed, many former slaves began celebrating in many different ways. They went to Galveston every year in order to honour the place where anti-slavery was first declared. Although some white people didn’t like black people celebrating in the public eye and banned them from doing it, the black people still found ways of celebrating Juneteenth creatively and individually.

Performing music shows, church services, picnics, and parades are very popular events to do on Juneteenth nowadays. Horseback riding and rodeos also commonly appear.

To conclude, whether you call it Emancipation Day, Second Independence Day, or Freedom Day, it will always be a holiday of equality, hope, and empowerment. It shows just how bravely former slaves fought for freedom and happiness. Make sure you show some respect for our ancestors, who created a better world for us. And at the same time, have fun, and happy Juneteenth!

Written by Lily.
Edited by Charlie Windfellow.
Proofread by Lily.