Juneteenth celebrations took place across the United States on Thursday, commemorating the 1865 announcement by Union soldiers that enslaved Black people in Texas were free.
The observance originated in Galveston, Texas, where events were held to honor the holiday’s birthplace, and former President Joe Biden was expected to attend.
For generations, Juneteenth has been celebrated predominantly among Black Americans, but its recognition has grown since Biden designated it a federal holiday in 2021.
Currently, every state at least acknowledges the holiday, with nearly 30 states and Washington, D.C., officially honoring it through legal or legislative measures.
In New Hampshire, the Black Heritage Trail organized a weeks-long celebration that culminated in a community dance and the rededication of the African Burying Ground Memorial Park in Portsmouth.
Virginia also marked the occasion with a ceremonial groundbreaking for the reconstruction of the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, one of the oldest Black churches in the nation.
Juneteenth, which signifies the end of slavery in the U.S., traces back to June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston at the conclusion of the Civil War.
General Order No. 3 proclaimed that all enslaved individuals in Texas were free and entitled to
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