Juneteenth in Saint Paul
Juneteenth, marks the end of slavery in the United States and honors African American history, culture, and traditions.
The History of Juneteenth
Juneteenth (short for June Nineteenth) was first celebrated on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, when General Gordon Granger—a U.S. Army Officer and Union General during the Civil War—and his troops arrived to the city to free 250,000 enslaved persons under the order of the Emancipation Proclamation.
The troops arrival to Galveston came two-and-a-half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863.
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill declaring June 19th as a Federal holiday. On February 3, 2023, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed legislation declaring Juneteenth as a state holiday.