Follow a “Day in the life” of Director of Public Policy Joanna Diamond, during the 2025 Maryland General Assembly session.
Juneteenth 2024
06.17.24
“Then, thenceforward, and forever free...”
On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation declared freedom for enslaved individuals in the Confederacy, but those in Galveston, Texas were not made aware until June 19, 1865. This day, also known as Freedom Day, Independence Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day, commemorates emancipation and Black liberation. See ways to recognize and celebrate Juneteenth this year!
What is Juneteenth?
The holiday originated in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, when enslaved people learned of their emancipation on June 19, more than two years after it had occurred two-and-a-half years prior. Slaveholders in Texas chose not to share this information to extend the violent exploitation of enslaved African Americans. The first Juneteenth observance took place a year later in 1866. It is the longest-running holiday in African American and Black communities, celebrated with community events on the third Saturday in June. It became a federal holiday in 2021 when the U.S. Congress passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.
Read up on the history and significance of Juneteenth
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Test Your Knowledge!
Join us for trivia, and you might win a prize! Answer 6 questions by Friday, 6/28 at 5 PM to join in the fun! All participants will be entered into a raffle gift card to local Black-owned business!
Explore Juneteenth trivia here
Join in local Juneteenth events
Have other events to add? Email aeisape@hchmd.org
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