Juneteenth, The Forgotten Holiday Posted on June 23, 2017 by shequaya Bailey Share this post Pittsburgh’s 2016 Juneteenth Celebration Juneteenth, a holiday overlooked by the masses even though it is recognized in many of the United States and worldwide, is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in America. The significance of this holiday is one that hits the very heart of the African American population. Slavery was officially ended January 1, 1863 with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, but it took a little more than two years for the word to spread to the entire enslaved population that they were free. In Galveston, Texas on June 19th, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger, along with his troop of Union soldiers, informed the last of the enslaved peoples that they were free. In 1979 Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday. To learn more, please visit: America’s Second Independence Day What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth