Ways to Celebrate and Observe Juneteenth
From UC Davis School of Law's Office for Student Affairs:
Yesterday, June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law and officially made Juneteenth (June 19) a national holiday.
What is Juneteenth?
On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and informed enslaved African Americans that the Civil War had ended and that they were now free. This news came two and a half years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation which became law on January 1, 1863. Because of the small number of Union troops in Texas in 1863 to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, slavery still remained in place until what is now known as Juneteenth.
Today, Juneteenth commemorates the freedom of African American people and is a time to celebrate the achievements of African Americans as well as a time to educate ourselves about the struggles they still face today in America.
Ways to Celebrate and Observe Juneteenth
If you are looking for ways to celebrate Juneteenth this year local to the School of Law please check out this list of 11 activities happening tomorrow in and around Sacramento!
More Information About Juneteenth
Please check out these resources to find out more about the history and importance of Juneteenth in America.