WQMG celebrates Juneteenth, also called “Emancipation Day” and Juneteenth Independence Day, the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
Below are little known facts about Juneteenth. Check back daily for more facts.
The name 'Juneteenth' references the date of the holiday, combining the words "June" and "Nineteenth".
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862. It went into effect on January 1, 1863. However, slaves were not set free in the Confederacy until the Union army arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 18th, 1865.
The first Juneteenth celebration took place in Galveston in 1866.
Juneteenth is the oldest known holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas in 1980.
Juneteenth was made a federal holiday in June of 2021.
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