Juneteenth is celebrated today to honor the abolition of slavery in Texas. This holiday brings value to every American regardless of race, culture or background, in that it marks the day that all citizens of the United States have rights. In fact, Texas was the last state that hadn’t abolished slavery in all of the United States. The date that the news of the Emancipation Proclamation had reached Texas and was read aloud in Galveston, two years after it had become U.S. law, is June 19th.
This day specifically marks the end of slavery in all of America. At the time, Galveston was one of the most well known and the largest citys in Texas. Union General Gordon Granger issued General Order Number 3, “‘The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” This celebration of freedom is inevitably the building blocks of the inalienable rights of what our country is today.
While originally starting in Galveston, TX celebrations are growing nationally. The San Antonio Juneteenth Association presents the event of the 19th Annual Juneteenth Golf Tournament held on June 17. Houston Mayor Turner’s Annual Ares Homes Parade, the Black Love Festival at Emancipation Park, the Freedom Festival at the Humbic Civic Center, and the Pearland Juneteenth Celebration at Pearland Town Center.
Being a deeply rooted firm in Texas, Davis Law Firm would like to commemorate this day across all of our offices in Texas ranging from Corpus Christi to McAllen all the way from Waco to San Antonio.
To learn more about Juneteenth, the San Antonio Juneteenth Association hosts the Texas Freedom Festival as well as several other events celebrating the 154th anniversary of June 19th.