Listen Live
WERE AM Mobile App 2020

LISTEN LIVE. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

The Buzz Cincy Featured Video
CLOSE

Black Independence Day, otherwise known as Juneteenth, has arrived.

We’ve compiled a few facts that you may not have known about the celebration of the emancipation of the last slaves in the United States.

  • President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Sept. 22, 1862, but it took nearly three more years before full emancipation was achieved.

  • Union General Gordon Granger delivered the good news in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, issuing General Order No. 3 and officially freeing America’s final slaves. This date, known as Juneteenth, has since been celebrated as Black Independence Day by African-Americans across the nation.
  • On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas. African-American state legislator Al Edwards’ bill marked Juneteenth as the first emancipation celebration to receive official state recognition.
  • Juneteenth is not a federal holiday, but 43 of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia recognize it as a ceremonial holiday. There are more than 200 cities in the nation that celebrate Black Independence Day with festivals or other events.

Check out the video above for more.

SOURCE: Juneteenth.com, IB Times | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty | VIDEO SOURCE: NewsOne

5 Things To Know About Juneteenth  was originally published on newsone.com