The Birthplace of Juneteenth

The Birthplace of Juneteenth News The Birthplace of Juneteenth June 17, 2026 On June 19, 1865, Union troops, led by U.S. Major General Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston, Texas, to spread the good news of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: those still enslaved were now free. While the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln nearly two and half years prior, many slaveowners in the South kept the news of their slaves’ freedom to themselves and ignored it completely. As the Union soldiers let the remaining slaves in the South know this welcomed information, another foundational day in Texas history and the history of our great country was marked: Juneteenth. For more than 150 years, while our nation celebrated many other historical days, the Juneteenth holiday had not been officially recognized by the federal government. I was proud to champion bipartisan legislation with the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) to officially recognize June 19 th as a federal holiday. And on June 17, 2021, I had the honor of standing alongside one of the greatest champions of this legislative effort, Fort Worth native and “Grandmother of Juneteenth” Ms. Opal Lee, as we watched the President sign the bill into law. While the entire nation now recognizes Juneteenth as a federal holiday, Texas has a long history of celebrating June 19. It was made a state holiday under Governor William P. Clements Jr. in 1979, and generations of Texas students have learned the story of Juneteenth in school. Since 2011, I have been the author of Senate resolutions to honor Juneteenth as “Juneteenth Independence Day,” which has helped to educate Americans outside of the Lone Star State about the importance of this fateful day. Each year, we commemorate the anniversary in many ways. Celebrations are held all throughout the Lone Star State, from festivals and parades to historical reenactments and prayer services. In Limestone County, where the name “Juneteenth” originated, Texans celebrate for three straight days, including the holiday itself. The celebrations consist of many activities all organized by the Nineteenth of June Organization. In Houston, Texans are marking the 161 years since the news of freedom reached Texas by hosting the Juneteenth 161 Fest, which will highlight African-American culture and honor the significance of the Juneteenth holiday with performances, music, dancing, and food from local businesses. Austin is known for its famous Central Texas Juneteenth Parade and Festival, which consists of floats and entertainment centered around celebrating “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day.” In Galveston, the birthplace of Juneteenth, some of the largest commemorative events will take place, including emancipation marches, a reading of General Order No. 3, church services, parades, historical tours, and educational programs. I have celebrated Juneteenth in Galveston, and it is something all Texans should experience. To mark the city’s role as the birthplace of Juneteenth, I worked with Congresswoman Jackson Lee to pass the Emancipation National Historic Trail Study Act , which provided for the study of the Emancipation National Historic Trail, a 51-mile route from the former Osterman Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston to Freedmen’s Town and Emancipation Park in Houston. This legislation was signed into law on January 27, 2020, by President Trump, and the trail follows the path hundreds of freed slaves took from Galveston to Houston to spread the great news of U.S. Major General Granger’s announcement of their freedom. These are just a few examples of how Texans plan to celebrate Juneteenth in the Lone Star State, but the true meaning of this day goes back to the feeling of freedom felt on June 19 when slaves in Texas received the news that they were finally free. Texan Susan Ross described the joy her older brother experienced when he heard of his freedom: “He gave a whoop, ran, and jumped a high fence…. he grabbed me up and hugged and kissed me and said, ‘Brother is gone, don’t expect you’ll ever see me anymore.’ I don’t know where he went, but I never did see him again.” After Ross was freed, she went on to attend school, got married, and had four children and five grandchildren, while her parents moved away and bought farmland. Ross described her life as simple, but what a blessing freedom must have been in comparison to the hardship of the beginning of her life. Her story is one of hundreds of thousands from slaves who experienced unimaginable pain, coupled with unrestrained elation upon learning of their freedom. Their stories are why we honor and celebrate this day. As a nation, we have come so far since the days of slavery, and I am glad we can recognize the significance of Juneteenth and what this day truly means, something the entire nation now knows thanks to the creation of the national Juneteenth holiday. So, whether you will be attending a Juneteenth parade in Austin, a his