Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. In 1979, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday.
Today, we celebrate freedom. It was a hot summer day on June 19, 1865, when slaves in Galveston learned the Civil War was over and they were free.
The annual celebration on June 19 later became known as Juneteenth, which is now celebrated all over the United States.