Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Americans Observe Juneteenth Despite Pandemic

VOA News

   June 19 is the date on which the last African Americans were informed
   they were freed from slavery 155 years ago.

   The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in southern states in 1863,
   but the last enslaved people, located in the southcentral U.S. state of
   Texas, did not get word of their freedom until 1865, when Union
   soldiers arrived in the city of Galveston.

   The next year, former slaves began celebrating in Galveston what is
   called Juneteenth, a melding of "June" and "19th." The celebrations
   eventually spread to other U.S. states and other countries such as
   Ghana, South Korea and Israel.

.