Today is Juneteenth, short for “June Nineteenth.” Also known as “Jubilee Day,” “Black Independence Day,” and “Freedom Day.

It may be new to you if you’ve never lived in Texas.

Here, the day has been celebrated since June 19, 1865 — two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, when 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and enforce the emancipation of all enslaved people. Learn more about the history HERE.

Since that date, community gatherings filled with food, music, and fellowship have been held in Texas.

On June 17, 2021, President Biden’s proclamation made Juneteenth a federal holiday. Most national banks, the United States Postal Service, and all nonessential federal, state, and city government offices will be closed. Plus, the stock market will also be closed for the holiday.

How will you be celebrating?