Known as America’s second Independence Day, Juneteenth is a reminder of African Americans’ strength and resilience over centuries.

Though it didn’t become a national holiday until 2021, it’s been celebrated since 1865. Union troops liberated slaves in Galveston, Texas, to signal the end of slavery.

Now, the holiday celebrates not only emancipation, but African American freedom and achievement in general.

What is Juneteenth?

Though Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect in 1863, it didn’t reach states still under confederate control until years later.

Texas was the last state to sustain slavery. More than 250,000 enslaved people were freed when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, on June 19, 1865.

More:St. John Colony, Texas, celebrates 150 years of Juneteenth jubilees

At the onset of Reconstruction, formerly enslaved people built a community and even sued slaveholders for compensation, according to Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Why is Juneteenth important in 2024?

Juneteenth is a reminder of what African Americans went through, according to Mary Elliott, the curator of American Slavery at the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture. But it’s fluid, she said, and has evolved to meet the needs of society today.

“Juneteenth is also a site for political knowledge,” Elliott wrote. “It’s a time to recognize that you need to be registered to vote. You need to know what’s going on in your own city. You need to take control of your civic duty.”

Are there Juneteenth traditions?

The color red is most associated with cultures that came to America during the later years of the Transatlantic slave trade. It represents sacrifice, transition and power, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Families gather to learn, celebrate and eat red foods like strawberry slab pie, barbecue and dishes with tomato sauce.

When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday?

Juneteenth became a national holiday June 18, 2021, with a proclamation from President Joe Biden. The acknowledgement came as America grappled over the treatment of people of color by police and other institutions following the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

“On Juneteenth, we recommit ourselves to the work of equity, equality, and justice.  And, we celebrate the centuries of struggle, courage, and hope that have brought us to this time of progress and possibility,” Biden wrote in his proclamation. “That work has been led throughout our history by abolitionists and educators, civil rights advocates and lawyers, courageous activists and trade unionists, public officials, and everyday Americans who have helped make real the ideals of our founding documents for all.”

As it is a federal holiday, banks and credit unions will be closed.

Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.

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