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Juneteenth in United States

Quick Facts

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day and Emancipation Day, is a holiday or observance in many US states to celebrate the anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865.

Name

Juneteenth

Juneteenth 2008

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Juneteenth 2009

Friday, June 19, 2009
See list of observations below
In the United States, the Emancipation Proclamation came into effect on January 1, 1863. However, at that time some areas were still controlled by the Confederate States, which opposed the abolition of slavery. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and to free all remaining slaves. Juneteenth marks the anniversary of this date and is an opportunity for people to celebrate freedom and equal rights in the United States.
Juneteenth
Juneteenth celebrates equal rights and unity in the USA. ©iStockphoto.com/Jani Bryson

What do people do?

A range of public, community and private events are held to celebrate Juneteenth, often on a weekend close to June 19. These include: baseball games; pot luck outdoor cookouts, barbecues or picnics; workplace lunches; rodeos; neighborhood or block parties; community flag raising ceremonies; Juneteenth displays in city halls, libraries, schools and post offices; essay or artwork competitions for young people; presentations of community service awards; and the distribution of Juneteenth buttons, t-shirts, mugs and bags. Some people also decorate conference rooms or corridors at their workplace, their neighborhood and yards with Juneteenth banners, yard signs and flags to raise awareness of the event.

Public life

Juneteenth is a partial or full state holiday, or an official observance in about half of the US states, including Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

In some states, people employed by the state have a day off work. Stores, post offices and other organizations and businesses are likely to be open as usual, but some may be closed or have restricted opening hours in some areas. Most public transit services operate to their usual schedule, but there may be some changes. There may be some local disruption to traffic around large scale public events.

Background

In the United States, slavery began shortly after the first English colonists arrived and lasted until the Emancipation Proclamation came into effect on January 1, 1863. On that date Texas was largely controlled by forces fighting for the Confederate States, which opposed the abolition of slavery. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived to take control of Texas and enforce the emancipation of slaves in the state. In Galveston, Texas, the newly freed slaves held large public celebrations and so laid the base for future Juneteenth activities. The word 'Juneteenth' resulted from the words 'June Nineteenth' being slurred together in speech.

After 1865, Juneteenth was mainly celebrated in Texas. Parks have been established on land bought by former slaves to hold Juneteenth celebrations in the Texan cities of Austin, Houston and Mexia. However, it is now a state holiday or observance in more than half of the US states and there is a campaign for Juneteenth to become a national holiday or observance throughout the nation.  Juneteenth celebrations are also held in other countries around the world, including Ghana, Honduras, Japan, Taiwan and Trinidad and Tobago.

Symbols

The Juneteenth flag consists of a rectangle. The lower part of the rectangle is red and the upper part is blue and it has a solid white, five-pointed star at its center. The star is surrounded by a white outline of a 12-pointed star. The Juneteenth flag is often displayed with the United States flag to symbolize that slavery is illegal.

In Texas and some other southern states, the traditional drink on Juneteenth is Big Red soda. This variety of cream soda is a sweet, soft drink flavored with orange and lemon oils and vanilla. It is available in different flavors and with or without caffeine and sugar.

Juneteenth Observances

WeekdayDateYearNameHoliday typeWhere it is observed
ThuJun 191980JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
FriJun 191981JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
SatJun 191982JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
SunJun 191983JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
TueJun 191984JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
WedJun 191985JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
ThuJun 191986JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
FriJun 191987JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
SunJun 191988JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
MonJun 191989JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
TueJun 191990JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
WedJun 191991JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
FriJun 191992JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
SatJun 191993JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
SunJun 191994JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
MonJun 191995JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
WedJun 191996JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
ThuJun 191997JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
FriJun 191998JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
SatJun 191999JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
MonJun 192000JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
TueJun 192001JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
WedJun 192002JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
ThuJun 192003JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
SatJun 192004JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
SunJun 192005JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
MonJun 192006JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
TueJun 192007JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
ThuJun 192008JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
FriJun 192009JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
SatJun 192010JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
SunJun 192011JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
TueJun 192012JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
WedJun 192013JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
ThuJun 192014JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA
FriJun 192015JuneteenthLocal observanceMA, MI, AK, MO, CA, NJ, CT, NM, DC, NY, ID, NC, IA, OK, KY, OR, AR, TX, DE, TN, IL, VA, WY, WA, FL, CO, LA

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