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While many haven't been aware of Juneteenth until recent years, it has been celebrated since the year after slavery ended in the United States (Photograph courtesy of readtheplaque.com)
Juneteenth National Independence Day is a holiday that celebrates the ending of slavery in the United States. The first Juneteenth celebration took place in Texas in 1866.
That celebration was only one year after June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation while in Texas.
A memorial stone in Gray celebrates the life of Jacob "Jake" Hutchings, a man born into slavery who went on to serve as Jones County's first black representativeCelebrating freedom, especially from slavery (which has oppressed and continues to oppress people across the world), is as worthy a cause of celebration than any other.
The first recorded Juneteenth celebrations where in Galveston, Texas (Photograph courtesy of Readtheplaque.com)
