The tradition of Watch Night services in the United States dates back to Dec. 31, 1862, during the Civil War.

The White House hosted their first-ever Juneteenth celebration this week. County Commissioner Tommy Calvert was in attendance.

On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill officially making Juneteenth a federal holiday. It’s the first new federal holiday since 1983, when Martin Luther King Jr. Day was added.

The Senate has passed a bill that would make Juneteenth, or June 19th, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery.

“Ode to Juneteenth,” a freed slave’s story of celebration and hope, will be showcased by the Witte Museum on Freedom Day, June 9.

This year marks the 156th anniversary of Juneteenth, the day enslaved Texans were officially proclaimed free, two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863.

(AP Photo/John Locher)LOUISVILLE, Ky. The outcry has reverberated for weeks online and at demonstrations nationwide: Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor. Calls for action against the officers have gotten louder during a national reckoning over racism and police brutality following George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. That has left people, from protesters to celebrities, wondering why justice is slow to come in Taylor's case. It's definitely taking too long, it's definitely frustrating, said Kirstia Drury, 32, who joined street protests in Louisville after Taylor's death. He's executive director of advocacy group Christopher 2X Game Changers and has often served as a conduit between the Black community and Louisville officials during conflicts.

(AP Photo/Jim Mone)MINNEAPOLIS A special session of the Minnesota Legislature ended Saturday without agreement on remaking policing in the state where George Floyd was killed. I'm deeply disappointed that Senate Republicans ended the special session before our job was done," Senate Minority Leader Susan Kent tweeted. Were not walking away from Minnesota here, but I think we could all benefit from a breather, Gazelka said just before adjournment, Minnesota Public Radio News reported. The special session was necessary for Democratic Gov. If Walz seeks to extend his emergency powers an additional 30 days, he's required to call another special session for July 12 to let lawmakers object.

Protesters march in a Black Lives Matter demonstration organized by the Dallas Black Firefighters Association on Juneteenth 2020 in Dallas, Friday, June 19, 2020. Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and ensure all enslaved people be freed, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Former President Abraham Lincoln first issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Sept. 22, 1862, and it became effective the following Jan. 1. Word didnt reach the last enslaved black people until June 19 of that year, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to Galveston, Texas. Kristi Noem proclaimed Friday as Juneteenth Day, but the proclamation does not make the day a state-recognized holiday.

SAN ANTONIO President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but it wasnt until June 19th, 1865, that Union soldiers landed at Galveston with news that the enslaved were free. Now that day, Juneteenth, is a nationally celebration commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Its a history of our lives and where we have come from, said friend of the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAACAM) Charla Hutchens, and it reflects our joyousness of being free, to be a free person, to not be enslaved.There are some business people here in San Antonio on the East Side that organize a parade. It usually starts over on Houston Street past East Sam Houston High School, Susan Glosson, friend of SAACAM, said. You can find more information on how San Antonio is celebrating Juneteenth 2020 in this article.

That day of freedom, June 19, 1865, is now also known as Juneteenth, and has been celebrated richly ever since, especially in San Antonio. Juneteenth San Antonio Commissioner, Byron Miller has been in charge of celebrations in the Alamo City for the past 25 years. In earlier years, Miller said celebrations included cooking contests and family reunions for slaves who had been separated. Juneteenth 2020: Why the Holiday Is as Important as Ever This YearThe word eventually reached San Antonio, where in recent years, with Millers help, has hosted the largest Juneteenth celebration in the state. Miller said a good way to celebrate Juneteenth is to push policy makers to create legislation that focuses on the continued push for equality.