Juneteenth

TCSOS school sites and offices will be closed Monday, June 20, 2022, in honor of Juneteenth. Juneteenth is a federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.

Juneteenth, a combination of the words June and nineteenth, honors the end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to ensure all enslaved people were freed. This date came two and half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862. Juneteenth became an official federal holiday on June 17, 2021, and is also referred to as “Juneteenth Independence Day,” “Freedom Day,” and “Emancipation Day”.

Although Juneteenth wasn’t declared a federal holiday until very recently,  African Americans have been celebrating this holiday since the late 1800s. 

Juneteenth is an opportunity to celebrate African-American history and culture in many places. Early celebrations of Juneteenth incorporated family gatherings and prayer. Juneteenth celebrations range in size from small family gatherings to larger events such as parades and festivals.