Juneteenth is a nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. While the Emancipation Proclamation, effective January 1, 1863, legally freed enslaved African Americans in Confederate states, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that some of the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were informed by Union Army General Gordon Granger. Learn more about the day, find reading lists, and see how bookstores are planning to celebrate. |