Juneteenth is an historic celebration among African Americans that honors the announcement of the end of Slavery. On June 19th, 1865 news finally reached Galveston, Texas that African Americans were no longer tied to enslavement which was made official through the emancipation proclamation that was passed more than two years prior on January 1st, 1863. Although the news reached people at different times in the South, folks came to a collective decision to recognize June 19th as a national holiday.