We kicked off our Juneteenth celebration with the Juneteenth Atlanta Parade & Music Festival last weekend—the event that has served as Atlanta’s official Juneteenth celebration since it was first recognized as a city holiday. Now in its 5th year as an official city observance, Juneteenth is a time to honor the journey toward freedom and reflect on the work still ahead. Today, on Juneteenth, we continue that reflection—celebrating progress while staying committed to equity, inclusion, and justice

June 19, 1865 marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people were freed. The troops arrived two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a day of celebration, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. As of June 16th, 2021, Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States. This is the history of #Juneteenth. | HISTORY