blogs / 16 Jun 2022

Juneteenth: A Time of Celebration and Introspection

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of ending slavery in the United States, and African Americans have celebrated it since the late 1800s.

The official name of the federal holiday is Juneteenth National Independence Day. You may also hear it referred to as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day, and Juneteenth Independence Day.

The official name of the federal holiday is Juneteenth National Independence Day. You may also hear it referred to as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day, and Juneteenth Independence Day.

The name Juneteenth is short for June nineteenth. This was the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people were freed. Texas was a state that did not have a significant Union presence and experienced little fighting during the Civil War compared to most other southern states. In fact, many slaveholders fled to the state during the event. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after signing the Emancipation Proclamation, and they found enslaved people still subjugated by their masters. The enslaved people had no knowledge they were free.

Mark McPherson

about the author

Mark McPherson is the Manager of Branding and Communications for Cartus. He is also a Core Leader of the Anywhere African-American Caribbean and Service (Veterans) Employee Resource Groups. Mark has an extensive background in Communications, Human Resources, and Employee Engagement.