Isaac Wiles

Juneteenth, now an official National holiday, is the oldest known celebration honoring the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger led federal troops to Galveston, Texas to announce that the Civil War had ended, and slaves had been freed. While the official date of the Emancipation Proclamation was 1863, it took two years for the news to reach the remote territory of Texas. Upon Gen. Granger’s arrival, approximately 250,000 Texan slaves had no idea that their freedom had been secured.
Join us as we recognize this important day.