Juneteenth

Juneteenth is a federal holiday that marks the anniversary of the last African American slaves being freed in Texas a full two-and-a-half-years after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. 

On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger and his federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. He informed the enslaved African Americans of their freedom and that the war had ended. 

Juneteenth has been celebrated since then, but in 2021, the United State Congress passed legislation to make June 19th a federal holiday.  

A reenactment of "the moment of freedom" for the Washington family at Booker T. Washington National Monument in Virginia, NPS Photo

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Puget Sound Region's First Juneteenth Celebration Took Place in 1890

According to an article by Helen Lacy, on June 19, 1890, African American families from Seattle and Tacoma gather in Kent to celebrate, for the first time, the adoption of the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which enfranchises persons of color. This celebration, sponsored by the Sons of Enterprise, was the first Pacific Northwest observance of what is known to African Americans as "Juneteenth."

The article is posted at www.historylink.org, the free online encyclopedia of Washington state history.

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Juneteenth Celebrations Around the Sound

There are many ways to celebrate Juneteenth around the Puget Sound area, including visiting state and national parks, which are all free on June 19. 

KOMO News offers a nice list of Juneteenth celebrations in the area. Click the following link for more information: Seattle celebrates Juneteenth with events honoring Black history and freedom (komonews.com)