Seven Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth

What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is a blended term of the date of June 19, 1865, otherwise known as Freedom Day.

On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln enacted the Emancipation Proclamation Law, which declared all slaves freed under the new law. Two and a half years later, on June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger and other Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas. In the state, they found Black people still enslaved primarily for three reasons:

• Some local officials did not share the information
• Slaveowners did not want to comply, nor share the details of the new law
• News of the law did not reach them yet

Resultingly, Major General Gordon Granger read General Order No. 3 aloud across town. The general order announced the news of the Emancipation Proclamation to all residents, including slaves. Once the news was made known, celebrations erupted and the date was officially declared as Freedom Day.

Later, in 1979, Texas passed a bill to become the first state in the nation to make Juneteenth an official state holiday. Juneteenth was named a federal holiday by Congress on June 17, 2021.

7 Ways To Celebrate in 2024

Visit A Local Black Museum

Learn about Black history & culture at:

• DuSable Museum
• Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum

Learn More About Our Industry Partner, The Dearborn REALTIST® Board

Support local black restaurants

Black People Eats highlights Black-owned restaurants in a number of cities with a mission to unite the world through food, travel and culture. Check out their list of Chicago restaurants here.

Attend A Juneteenth Weekend Event in Chicago

Find Charitable Organizations that Advance African-American Diaspora Issues

Support highly-rated charities across the country uplifting the Black community here.

Enjoy a cookout or backyard BBQ with your friends & family

This is a holiday of celebration!

Catch up on television shows, music, podcasts & books

Here are some of our favorite works focusing on Juneteenth, the history behind it and highlighting Black creators: