Overview

• Juneteenth commemorates the 1865 announcement by Union troops in Galveston, Texas, enforcing slavery’s end more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
• Banks, the New York Stock Exchange and the United States Postal Service are closed; UPS and FedEx continue pick-up and delivery services.
• Communities from Galveston to Portsmouth are marking the holiday with parades, festivals and educational programs.
• Several corporations and local governments have scaled back or canceled Juneteenth events in response to President Trump’s rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
• Advocates and historians stress that Juneteenth remains a call to action for ongoing efforts toward racial equity and justice nationwide.