Juneteenth (officially Juneteenth National Independence Day and historically known as Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day, and Emancipation Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrating the emancipation of African Americans who had been enslaved. 

 

Originating in Galveston, Texas, in 1866, it has been celebrated annually on June 19 throughout the United States. It became a recognized federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.  

 

It is commemorated on the anniversary date of the June 19, 1865, announcement of General Order No. 3 by Union Army general Gordon Granger, proclaiming freedom for slaves in Texas.