Juneteenth Is A Holiday That Deserves To Be Honored

Juneteenth is almost here, and this year, there are so many ways to pay tribute to the holiday while honoring Black Americans. Black lives, history, and contributions deserve to be recognized—and June 19 is the perfect day to do it.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, is the official date that the last enslaved people became emancipated in America. Despite what you may have learned about the Emancipation Proclamation (January 1, 1863) and the ratification of the 13th Amendment (December 6, 1865), the truth is that there were still holdouts across the Confederacy up until June 19, 1865.

That's when General Gordon Granger came to Galveston, Texas with Union soldiers and announced that the Civil War had ended—two months earlier on April 9, 1865—and that all enslaved people were free and that this freedom would be enforced, per NBC.

That last part is important because, when Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, there were minimal Union troops in Texas and other parts of the Confederacy to actually enforce the law, according to Juneteenth.com.

Looking for ways to honor Juneteenth this year? Well, you can start by signing 94-year-old activist Opal Lee's petition to make Juneteenth a national holiday, which is long overdue.

Then, you scan the list below to see what else is going on around the country IRL and virtually. Trust me, there are so many ways you can honor Black culture, heritage, history and, most importantly, freedom. From supporting Black-owned businesses to attending a march or protest, there's an option in here for you. Happy Juneteenth!