GALVESTON, TEXAS — President Joe Biden designated Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021. The designation occurred over 150 years after Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865.

U.S. Major General Gordon Granger announced the freedom of enslaved people in Texas upon the arrival of Union troops. Granger stated, "The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free." The date, June 19, became known as Juneteenth, also referred to as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day. The Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declared that all enslaved persons in Confederate states rebelling against the Union would be free. Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox in April 1865, and the 13th Amendment, making slavery illegal nationwide, was adopted on December 6, 1865.

Texas officially recognized Juneteenth as a state holiday in 1980, making it the first state to do so. Former President Barack Obama marked Juneteenth multiple times during his presidency. The police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor occurred in 2020. President Biden reflected on the significance of the holiday in his proclamation, stating, "As those who were formerly enslaved were recognized for the first time as citizens, Black Americans came to commemorate Juneteenth with celebrations across the country, building new lives and a new tradition that we honor today." He added, "Juneteenth is a day of profound weight and power." Biden further said, "In its celebration of freedom, Juneteenth is a day that should be recognized by all Americans, and that is why I am proud to have consecrated Juneteenth as our newest national holiday."

Tommie D. Boudreaux, a founding member of the Galveston Historical Foundation African American Heritage Committee, said, "Black Americans played a major part of building America." She added, "It is a major part of Americans' history." Boudreaux also said, "So many waited so long to be at least recognized that they played a major part of making America what it is today."