On Juneteenth
Juneteenth is believed to be the oldest continually celebrated commemoration of the abolition of slavery in the United States. The Juneteenth celebration originates in Galveston, Texas, where on June 19, 1865 the Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived and publicly read Order No. 3, declaring that enslaved African Americans were now free. On June 17th, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. There are many Juneteenth celebrations and commemorative events in St. Louis every year in the month of June. This story shares more about the remembrance of Juneteenth, including Juneteenth events at WashU and around greater St. Louis.