Celebrate Juneteenth: Honoring 156 Years of African American Freedom and Resilience

This Monday, June 19th marks the 156th anniversary of Juneteenth, a national holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, has been celebrated by communities across the country for more than a century.

The holiday marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas found out they had been freed, two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Since it was designated a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth has become more universally recognized beyond Black America.

In celebration of Juneteenth, CBS News national correspondent Jericka Duncan will host a special marathon of BET’s “America In Black” series which features prominent Black voices including Michael B. Jordan, LL Cool J, Taraji P. Henson and more. Stream it on the free CBS News app starting at 6 p.m. ET on Monday, June 19.

Many people get the day off work or school, and there are a plethora of street festivals, fairs, concerts and other events. For more than one-and-a-half centuries, the Juneteenth holiday has been sacred to many Black communities.

People who never gave the holiday on June 19 more than a passing thought may be asking themselves, is there a “right” way to celebrate Juneteenth? While the answer is subjective, it is important to recognize the significance of the holiday and the history behind it. Juneteenth is a day to celebrate the freedom and resilience of African Americans, and to recognize the long and difficult struggle for civil rights in the United States.