Overview

• Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger enforced the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston, liberating about 250,000 enslaved people in Texas.
• Since its designation as a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth has expanded into parades, concerts, museum programs and family gatherings across the United States.
• Organizers in New Jersey’s Metuchen-Edison-Piscataway branch of the NAACP, Plano, Illinois, and other communities have relocated or canceled 2025 events over compliance uncertainties with the DEI order.
• High-profile commemorations include Opal Lee’s annual Walk for Freedom in Texas, immersive performances at New York’s Guggenheim and Washington’s National Archives presentation of emancipation records.
• Public institutions from national parks to museums are offering free admission and special exhibits, including displays of the original General Order No. 3 and Emancipation Proclamation records.