Juneteenth 2024
“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
|
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
More Recent News
Health care doesn’t always happen in clinics. Spend the day with Baltimore’s Street Medicine Team as they take care to the tents, encampments and other places people are staying.
Our housing services team works with more than 60 landlords in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. These relationships help clients not only find housing but have the support they need to maintain safe, stable homes. Meet two landlords with a commitment to permanent supportive housing.
A new HPV self‑collection test is helping people take more control over cervical cancer screening. Learn how this approach is reducing barriers and empowering clients.
Meet Dre, a 25-year-old artist and advocate whose reflections offer a powerful reminder: homelessness can happen to anyone, and speaking up can create change.