June 19, 2026, is the 161st year that Juneteenth is being celebrated in the United States of America.
Juneteenth – a combination of June and Nineteenth marks the day in 1865 when Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas. He delivered Order No. 3, announcing that all enslaved people were officially free.
While the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed two and a half years earlier, a presidential decree issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the America Civil War declared that all persons held as slaves “within the rebellious Confederate states” are and henceforward shall be free.” Because the proclamation depended on military victory, news of freedom traveled slowly and could be enforced as the Union Army advanced and took control of Confederate territory.
The Emancipation Proclamation was not actively enforced in Texas until that moment on June 19, 1865, as Texas was the most remote Confederate state when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston to enforce the decree. Juneteenth represents the true, hard fought conclusion of slavery in the United State and is recognized as our nation’s second Independence Day.
WNYIL is a civil rights organization whose core mission is rooted in advocacy, human rights, and the elimination of systemic barriers to independence for people with disabilities. Celebrating Juneteenth aligns directly with these values. WNYIL proudly participates in Buffalo’s historic Juneteenth festivities, which is one of the largest and longest running celebrations in the nation. This year marks the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Juneteenth in the City of Buffalo.
Whether you will be attending additional Juneteenth celebrations on Friday, June 19, 2026, or spending quiet and quality time with family and friends, I wish you a meaningful and safe holiday on Friday. Happy Juneteenth!