Juneteenth is a significant day in U.S. history. The National Museum of African American History and Culture refers to Juneteenth as our country’s second independence day. Short for “June Nineteenth,” it is also known as “Freedom Day” and “Emancipation Day.”
What is Juneteenth?
On Jan. 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all slaves who were in states that rebelled against the Union were now free. In the lead-up to the end of the Civil War in April 1865, Union soldiers traveled throughout Confederate states to read the proclamation to slaves.
On June 19, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to ensure that all slaves were freed. But the news had yet to reach the slaves in Texas, and they were the last to hear about their freedom. The following year, June 19 became a day of remembrance and “Jubilee Day” for the over 250,000 newly freed slaves. Juneteenth has since been widely celebrated in the African American community and is especially significant in Galveston.
Road to Federal Recognition
Texas became the first state to designate Juneteenth as a holiday in 1980. The summer of 2020’s nationwide protests against police brutality and demanding racial justice brought an increased awareness of Juneteenth and its significance. Houston artist Reginald Adams and his team created a Juneteenth mural in 2021, and his work has rippled across the U.S. Juneteenth murals have since been painted in 14 different cities.
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden officially signed Juneteenth into law as the 11th federally recognized U.S. holiday.
How to Celebrate Juneteenth in Pittsburgh
Celebrations here in Pittsburgh got a little complicated this year, thanks to a back-and-forth over city funding. Council ultimately passed resolutions to fund two events at $125,000 a pop, both pulling from remaining COVID relief money. So lucky for us, there are lots of great ways to celebrate Juneteenth in Pittsburgh this year!
- June 14-16: 🎊 WPA Juneteenth Homecoming Celebration | various times | free | Downtown
- June 18: 🎨 Juneteenth at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center | various times | free & ticketed | Downtown
- June 18: ⚾ 1HOOD’s Art as Liberation Pirates game | 6:40 p.m. | game ticket | North Shore
- June 19: 📖 Black Power Story Time with BOOM Concepts | 10-11:30 a.m. | free | Squirrel Hill
- June 19: 🔊 Liber8 PGH at Spirit | 8 p.m. | $10-15 | Lawrenceville
- June 23: 🎉 Juneteenth Celebration at Les Getz Memorial Park | 12-8 p.m. | free | Swissvale
This article has been updated to correct the end date of the Civil War.
