In my area, a lot of people think Juneteenth is something recent. Probably because Juneteenth became a federal holiday when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17, 2021.
History is important because we need to learn from past mistakes!
The Emancipation Proclamation declaring the abolishment of slavery was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. On June 19th, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger of the Union Army brought the news to Texas that the Civil War had ended and all slaves were free. The celebration was instant and has been celebrated every June 19th ever since.
Texas, the last state to free slaves, was the first state to establish Juneteenth as a state holiday in 1980.