“Happy Juneteenth!”
The holiday, which was designated a federal holiday in 2021 and has been recognized within Black and African-American communities for far longer than that, has gained broader recognition in recent years.
Still, for many Americans there is much to learn about the new holiday. Many people of all races remain unsure of what Juneteenth is, mostly because not much is taught about the holiday in public schools.
Juneteenth, also referred to as Freedom Day or Jubilee Day, commemorates the total abolition of slavery in the U.S. that took place on June 19, 1865. Although President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation three years earlier — making slavery illegal by Jan.